


Gray Days in the City

by JET_MacLeod



Series: Days in the City [2]
Category: Rizzoli & Isles
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-24
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-16 19:02:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 27
Words: 64,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28961397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JET_MacLeod/pseuds/JET_MacLeod
Summary: New Episodes for Jane and Maura, set after Rainy Wednesdays in Boston. Don't have to read it first, but wouldn't hurt. Like Rainy Wednesday, I'm going to mark this complete, but there will be more added as I write it. Have an idea, let me know. Btw, this getting to be very angsty, but I promise a brighter future through the darkness.
Relationships: Jane Rizzoli & Mike Rizzoli, Maura Isles/Jane Rizzoli, Nina Holiday/Frankie Rizzoli Jr.
Series: Days in the City [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2098074
Comments: 9
Kudos: 35





	1. On My Way

**On My Way  
**

Jane sat in her SUV staring at the Academy building she'd just left. Today had been a long day of teaching and listening to the newest wannabe agents. She stared at the brick and mortar and suddenly missed the Colonial red bricks of her home town. She missed a lot of things about Boston...Maura being one of the biggest, but this was her life now. She had to remember that every night when she left Quantico not to try to drive to Boston. She loved her job. She did, but she didn't realize how much she was going to miss home.

Boston was the only thing she'd known besides being a detective. She was beginning to forget who she was and she didn't like the feeling. She missed Sunday dinners with her mother at Maura's house. She missed being able to go down to the morgue and talk out things with Maura. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that she missed Maura. Weekends and holidays were cutting it anymore. Maura's surprise visits were wonderful, but they weren't the same. They both knew that someone was leaving by the end. She hated it. She was beginning to hate her life.

She looked around and realized that she'd made it home. She didn't remember the drive and she didn't care. She knew that it was dangerous, but she'd been thinking about Maura again. Then, she knew exactly what Maura would say to her. She laughed a little and went into her kitchen. She pulled out her bottle of whiskey and a glass. She plopped on the couch and preceded to drown her sorrows.

She knew that Maura wasn't home. She could call her, but Maura was at a conference. She didn't want to be a bother. She huffed as she laid down on the couch and stared at the clock on her cable box. The green numbers were just mocking as they counted down the time. Maura wouldn't be in DC for two weeks. Jane wasn't sure that she would make it that long. She longed for Boston and Maura. She didn't even care about her burnt out apartment or the professor's house that she was subletting. She would be fine with just Maura. She sighed and rolled over to pour herself another shot.

After a few minutes of holding the bottle and not pouring it, she closed it and set it back on her coffee table. She stared at the clock. It was just after five. She started calculating how long it would take her to make it to Boston. She knew that it was over a seven hour trip and that was on a good day, without hitting too much highway construction. She looked around the living room.

She'd been there almost a year now and it still felt empty. There were pictures. It had been painted. It was decorated and furnished, but it wasn't home anymore. Her heart wasn't there. It was like it didn't live there. Anyone would be happy there, but Jane wasn't anymore. She couldn't even remember why she'd run to DC in the first place. Everything that she wanted...everything that she needed was in Boston.

She stood up in a hurry and ran upstairs. She quickly packed a bag without thought. She didn't know how long she was going to be back and she didn't care, not this time. She quickly grabbed her cell phone, her backup pistol, and her credentials. She left the text books and her FBI paraphernalia on her bed. She hadn't told anyone that she was studying to be a full agent. She was almost done with her coarse work, but she wondered if she could get stationed back in Boston. She'd worry about that later if she got the promotion.

She flew down the stairs and back into the kitchen. She grabbed a bottle of water and her keys. She locked up everything as she exited the house and got into her SUV.

She smiled as she got onto the road. The SUV had been Maura's idea. It wasn't overly big. It wasn't a gas guzzler either. Maura had made sure of that when they were looking just after she moved. It fit her personality and it was affordable. It also didn't hurt that it was very functional. She'd gone out to local crime scenes with it and was thankful for the room. Dean and Davis were always the ones calling her out. Both of them were very amazed by her ability to read a scene and get a feel for the perp before they even knew who it was. It was part of something that they knew couldn't be taught. Either you had it or you didn't, and Jane had it in spades.

She was crossing into New Jersey before she knew it. She saw the exits for Brunswick and took one, knowing that she should stop and refuel. She grabbed a cup of coffee and some food a local diner. She filled up the SUV and was back on the road in under an hour. It would put in Boston later than she wanted, but she didn't care. All she wanted was to see Maura.

Time was moving slowly it seemed as she worked her way down the interstates and highways. She knew that Maura might not be home when she got there and she was actually okay with that. She would be back in Boston. She would be at Maura's house. It would be enough until she got back. She'd called Maura in the morning. She knew that her plan was spontaneous and foolish, but she just needed to be in Boston.

Four hours later, she was pulling into Boston. She knew that it would take her a while to work her way through downtown and into Beacon Hill, but she didn't care. She was in Boston. She was home. After about thirty minutes, she pulled into Maura's drive way.

She pulled up to the garage and got out. She knew that it would hide the SUV from the road, but anyone in the house would be able to see it. She wasn't worried about that. She walked around and looked into the garage. Both of Maura's cars were parked inside. This didn't let Jane know if she was actually home. All it really told her was that she didn't take one of her cars for the conference.

She took a deep breath as she reached into her pocket and pulled out her keys. She flipped through them until she came to Maura's. She still had it. She'd never given it back and Maura never asked for it. It was like an unwritten agreement between them. They had each other's keys like they had each other's hearts. She let herself in the back door and stepped into the kitchen. Quickly, she disarmed the alarm and looked around.

She took her boots off and chucked them at the wall. They hit with a thud. She looked down as she moved through the kitchen to the fridge. She wanted a bottle of water. She'd had so much coffee on the way there, she wasn't sure that she would sleep. She continued to watch her step as she walked over and checked the alarm. She reset it. It was then that she noticed Bass was home.

She smiled. If Bass was there, then Maura was home. She quickly downed the water and put the empty bottle in the recycling bin. She made her way around Bass and towards the stairs. She slowly made her way upstairs, glad that she'd removed her boots, because she didn't want to wake Maura if she was asleep. But, as she neared her door, she was worried about scaring the honeyed blonde with her sudden and unexpected presence. She shrugged it off as she made her way closer to Maura's bedroom.

The door was shut, but she knew that it wasn't locked. She could just as easily turn and go to the guest room, but she didn't want to. She wanted to see Maura. She wanted to kiss Maura. She wanted to be with Maura. That is what this whole trip was about. She glanced down at her watch. It was just after two AM.

It was like an out of body experience as she watched her hand reaching for the knob. She could see herself doing it and she couldn't stop it. She was on autopilot because she was so close to Maura. The knob turned easily and she found herself in Maura's bedroom.

She could see her sleeping. And, for once, she was glad it was a warm night. She knew that it meant that Maura was sleeping naked. She cocked an eyebrow as she slowly made her way across the room to towards the bed. When she verified that it was Maura, she began to undress. She folded her clothes and laid them on the settee near the bed. Slowly she made her way back to the bed and pulled the covers back.

She got in the bed slowly and as quietly as possible. She didn't want to wake Maura up. She just wanted to sleep by her. She needed to feel her. She need her. She stopped herself several times from reaching out and touching the other woman.

"Jane?" Maura asked groggily as she rolled over to face Jane's side of the bed and the darker woman.

"Yes, Maura, it's me. Go back to sleep. We'll talk in the morning."

"Okay, love," Maura answered and promptly went back to sleep.

Jane just smiled. She was glad that Maura wasn't upset by her presence. She was happy that Maura seemed to expect her. But, then on many nights when she was working homicide, Jane had come home to her house and crawled in bed with her. It was one of the only ways that Jane could calm herself back then. So as she lay there, staring at Maura's bedroom ceiling, she wondered why she thought that going to DC was going to make her life any easier. She gave up the one thing that kept her grounded...Maura.

"Jane."

"Hmm?"

"Go to sleep. We can talk about it in the morning. And, you'd better be here in the morning or I'm never drinking that tea again before bed," Maura told her.

"I'll be here, Maura. There is no where else that I want to be. Good night, love," Jane replied as she rolled over to snuggle closer to Maura.

Maura stayed on her side and allowed Jane to mold to her. She didn't care that they would both be hot later. She was just happy that Jane was back in her bed and back with her. She hoped that it wasn't a dream, but then she was worried that it was. She'd come home early from the conference because she wasn't needed there anymore. The medical examiner's portion was through. If Jane had been with her, she would have stayed. But Jane wasn't, so there was no real reason for her to stay. She'd come home and unpacked. She planned on doing laundry and repacking in the morning. She wanted to surprise Jane and stay with her for awhile, but it seemed that Jane beat her to the punch as they say. She curled into her lover and sighed.

"Jane..."

"Hmm?"

"Do I want to know why you are here after two in the morning?" Maura asked her when her curiosity wouldn't let her go back to sleep again.

Jane pulled her closer and kissed her. She couldn't help herself. She was with Maura. She was in her arms. She wanted to continue to kiss her.

"Jane?"

"Sorry."

"Not that I am really complaining, but why are you here?" Maura questioned.

"I wanted to come home."

"Home?"

"To you, Maura. You are my home. I realized that today at work. I needed to be home. I needed to be with you, so I came home."

"I love you, Jane."

"I love you, too, Maur."

"Now, go to sleep. We'll talk about the rest in the morning. I've got you. And, Jane?"

"Yeah?"

"Welcome home, Love," Maura told her as she kissed her before snuggling back into Jane's lithe form and going to sleep.


	2. Burn With You

**Burn With You**

Jane awoke with the sun. She looked over in the bed and saw Maura. Her hair was fanned out gorgeously across her pillow. The soft rays of the sun had barely made it into the room through the window. What light was coming in bathed Maura in a halo. It just made Jane fall more in love with her. The longer she stared, the more she wondered why she even dreamed of leaving this bed, this town, and this woman. She hadn't truly felt whole until the night before.

Holding Maura next to her gave her a sense of normalcy that she hadn't truly felt since Paris. Maura made her feel beautiful and grounded. She kept her happy in a way that nothing else could. Police work had been her life, but Maura was home. She couldn't live without Maura in her life in some fashion and she knew now that she didn't want to wake up without Maura at her side.

"What are you thinking about?" Maura asked groggily as she rolled over to look into Jane's deep chestnut eyes.

"You," Jane said simply.

Maura rolled over from her back until she was facing Jane. She reached up and brushed a lock of the Italian's hair away from her face. She gazed in wonder at the woman beside her. She could see the years of toil in her eyes. She could see the longing and the love that she possessed and gave so freely. She could see her future with Jane. She wanted to build a life with her. She was tired of waiting. She wanted something with Jane now. And, it was obvious to her that Jane wanted that as well. She had driven over eight hours to get to her. If that wasn't love and commitment rolled up nicely in a sweet package.

"Jane..."

"I'm not ready for anything heavy, Maura. Trust me, I know that we need to talk, but I can't. Not just yet, but we will. I just want to enjoy being with you."

"Jane, I am all for that, but you have to understand that you left DC during an Academy week. You have trainees that are going to be wondering where you are. Besides them, there will be Agents Dean and Davies looking for you. I don't care if we talk about us right now, but you might want to check in."

"Why do you have to be so smart?" Jane questioned rhetorically as she rolled over and grabbed her cell from the table beside the bed.

She punched a few keys and was immediately connected to the switchboard at the FBI Academy. She asked for Agent Davies and was connected. She smiled at Maura as she calmly explained to him that she didn't know when she would be back. She'd already given them a year, but she wasn't sure that working there was what was best for her. She knew that it was it was short notice, but she needed time away. She needed to re-evaluate things. He was upset at the abruptness of her departure, but they had back up instructors to fill in as needed. They had to with agents being called away for cases. He asked her not to make any rash decisions about her career, but he also offered his sympathies to her. He told her to take all the time that she needed, but he asked that she call him back by the end of the week to let him know when or if she would be back to the Academy.

Jane dropped the phone back on the table and rolled back over towards Maura. She pulled her close and held her. She buried her nose into Maura's hair. She took a deep breath and sighed. Maura smiled at her and let Jane meld into her again.

"Jane, I love you."

"I love you, too."

Jane leaned more into her and kissed her. Her hands drifted over Maura's skin until she pushed herself up over her. She looked down into Maura's hazel eyes. No longer caring that her hair was blocking the sun as it surrounded them in a curtain of ebony, she couldn't break her gaze away from Maura's eyes.

Maura reached up and touched her cheek. There was just something about being close to Jane that made her lose some of her sensibility. Jane made her forget about the real world. She wasn't sure if she liked it or not, but she was willing to do more testing to find out more. Science was everything. Test and experiments were her life. And, as much as she didn't want to say that she did experiments in her daily life, she did. Jane was part of her life. She tried different things with Jane over the years, but now that they were together, things were different. She was willing to test Jane, but she knew that she would only test her so far. This test was more for her than it was for Jane. She needed to know that they were going to be together.

"Stop thinking for once."

"I can't. I love you and I want to be with you. I don't want you to leave."

"We're going to talk about this now that you are awake, aren't we?" Jane asked as she leaned down to start kissing Maura's neck.

"Jane..." Maura started to protest, but her hands pulled Jane back down onto her.

Her fingers dug into Jane's flesh. They both moaned as Jane continued to kiss her way down Maura's body. She wanted to feel Jane against her more than she wanted to talk. She wanted to feel her lover pleasure her and pleasure her lover at the same time. There was just something about Jane that Maura couldn't get enough of. She sighed as Jane began to kiss across her clavicles.

"Jane..."

"Hmm..."

"We need...to...oh, I've missed that...no, no...we need to talk about things," Maura stammered.

"Can't we just talk after I get done with you? Then we'll both be happy and we can be blissful about the conversation. I've already called out of work. What more do you want me to do, Maura? I came back here to be with you. I need to be with you," Jane told her.

"What if I was willing to go work at Quantico?" Maura asked perfectly.

Jane pushed up and looked down at the ME. She couldn't see a hint of anything but truth in the woman's green-hazel eyes. She actually seemed happy.

"What? Why would you do that? I am here. Our lives are really here. Why would you come to DC?"

"You have a house there. You like teaching. I know that they are letting you work on becoming an agent. Plus, there is the fact that the FBI consults with me on cases from time to time. They wouldn't have to do that if I worked for them. I would already be at their disposal. And, if was there, I would be with you as well. We could be partners of sorts at work again. We would be solving crime together. We would both be doing what we love, with the people we love," Maura answered.

"But, I don't want you to leave Boston," Jane told her.

"Why not?"

"We started here. I could always come back to the department. Hell, I think that Cavannaugh even kept my old test. I could be an instructor or something. That way I wouldn't be in harms way every day. I wouldn't only help out on cases that they asked me to work. Maybe, I would start helping the cold case squad. I know that they are cataloging everything now for easier access. Maybe we could solve somethings. I don't know, Maur. My family is here. You are here. You're house...this mansion is here. Why would I ask you to give all that up just to come stay with me in my little house in the 'burbs'?"

"You didn't ask, Jane. I offered. And, I, for one, like your house. It suits you. But, if I moved there, we would be getting a bigger house."

"And, if I didn't want a bigger house?" Jane asked just being difficult.

"You really want to come back to Boston, don't you?"

"Yes."

"Well, then I will need to find us a bigger place here," Maura stated.

"Wait, why?" Jane asked as Maura rolled out from under her and sat up on the edge of the bed.

Jane wrapped her body around Maura's. Her legs were beside hers. She could feel Maura lean back into her chest. Her arms needed to hold her, but she was also a little at a loss because she was scared. She didn't know what Maura was thinking. She ran her hands from Maura's back to her ribs, from her ribs, down her side until they were on her thighs. Maura reached down and held onto her arms before bringing them up higher on her body.

"Because we will need the room. I will want a studio and my yoga room. You'll want a place to workout and be 'Caveman Jane' when you need to be. We'll need at least four bedrooms and a big kitchen. Of course, I'll have to have my wine storage or a cellar for my collection."

"Why would we need four bedrooms, Maur? It's just the two of us. Wait, are you planning for Ma to come with us, because just ewww. No, just no, that would be so wrong. She's with Ron now anyways. No, if we get a new place, Ma is not coming. So, why all the rooms? Is there someone that I need to know about?"

Maura sighed. This was not how she dreamed about telling Jane her news. She knew that it was big. She knew that Jane needed to know, but she'd hoped for more time as she was still getting used to the idea on her own. Now, Jane wanted them to be together. She just hoped that Jane wouldn't run.

"Not yet," Maura replied.

"What do you mean not yet? What does that mean? Is there someone else?"

"Yes," Maura answered truthfully as she gripped Jane's arms tighter.

She held onto Jane afraid that if she let go the other woman would leave. She could feel Jane tensing. She knew that she wasn't explaining herself well, but she had to try. She had to tell Jane about it. She needed to tell Jane.

"And, they are just going to come live with us?" Jane asked.

"I should hope so."

"And, you want me to be okay with this."

"Yes."

"Because we need all the room for someone else to live with us?"

"Yes."

"What the Hell, Maura?" Jane questioned as her anger flared.

Maura dug her fingers into Jane's arms. She wasn't going to let her go. She slowly pushed their arms from just under breasts to her lower abdomen.

"Jane, I've been lonely."

"Yeah, well, so have I, but I didn't go out and seek companionship with someone else," Jane quipped.

She was deflecting. She was getting upset. Maura knew that she should just come right out and tell her, like ripping off a Band Aid. It was less painful that way.

"I know that, Jane, and neither have I. But, I wanted something more in my life. I just didn't know how to tell you about it before. I was just so worried about us...about you...and I wasn't sure if it was something that you wanted. I remembered how you were, before and after, and I wasn't sure that you would be one hundred percent on board with it. It was my decision to make, so I did it. I will not apologize for it," Maura told her.

"Let me go, Maura."

"Jane, I will not."

"Let me go, Maura."

"I'm pregnant," Maura whimpered.

Jane's arms immediately clamped around Maura's middle. Her left hand opened as she splayed her fingers across the tiny, almost non-existent bump. Her brain was firing on so many cylinders that she wasn't sure what to say.

"You're...what?"

"I'm having a baby. I know that I should have talked to you about this, but I couldn't. You seemed so happy in DC. I was lonely and I wanted a child, so I began to do what I needed to do in order to do that."

"You slept with someone just to have a kid?"

"No, Jane, I didn't. I have been faithful to you, completely. Well, except that I didn't tell you about this. I had the procedure done a few weeks ago. I found out yesterday that it took and I am actually pregnant. I wanted to have your child. I want us to have children."

"Oh, Maur, I do, too."

"Good, because they are technically Frankie's," Maura told her.

"Wait, what? Frankie? My little brother Frankie is going to be the father of my children?"

"No, he was the sperm donor. He's signed all the legal paperwork stating that he has no claim to the child or children, whatever the case maybe. This was the only way that I knew that I would always have you close to me. It was wrong of me not to consult you, but I wanted a child. You were busy and I wasn't sure how you'd react after you lost yours. You can be angry with me, but I will not give up this life inside of me. It is a Rizzoli and it will be my Rizzoli."

"I thought that was my job," Jane teased.

"It is, if you still want it," Maura offered.

"Oh, hell ya, I still want it. I want kids too, Maura. You didn't have to hide this from me. I would have supported you. I will support you."

Jane lovingly held Maura's midsection. She leaned down and kissed her shoulders, allowing her lips to linger. She softly laughed.

"Have you told Ma yet?"

"No, I wanted to tell you first."

"She is going to demand that we get married," Jane told her.

"Are you opposed to being my wife, Jane?"

"Me? Nope, never."

"Good, because I want to be your wife as well."

"Great. I'm moving back home, then. We'll raise the kids here in Boston. I don't like DC that much."

"But, what about your house? The FBI? Teaching?"

"I have you and junior in there. I'll worry about getting a job once we get everything settled. We're having a baby."

"Yes, Jane, we are having a baby."

"I'm going to be a Ma."

"Yes, you are and so will I."

"Oh, God, Mom is going to be so happy."

"She will indeed."

Jane kissed her shoulder again and then moved to her neck, "Now, can I show you how much I love you?"

"Yes...yes, you may...as many times as you want," Maura said breathlessly as Jane continued to kiss her back, neck and shoulders.

"Good, because I love you so much. I would do anything for you. And, now, I will do anything and everything to take care of my family. My family...I like the way that sounds. My family...Maura, Jane, and little junior...my family," Jane said before returning to loving on Maura.

Jane was interrupted by her phone. She didn't want to stop kissing Maura. She recognized that it was her mother's ring tone. She shook her head as she continued to kiss Maura. Her phone rang again. This time is Tommy's ring tone. This gave Jane reason to pause, but she didn't stop to answer it. It wasn't until after her mother's third call and then Frankie calling that she answered the phone. Maura moved away to allow Jane some privacy with the call that seemed to be family oriented and very important. She knew that Jane would give her all the details that were necessary when the call was finished.

"What is it?" she spat into her cell phone. "What? When? And... Okay. Yeah, I will... I'm in Boston...Doesn't matter...It's a long story...They're sure. Okay, what do I need to do?...I'll be over there soon...Yeah, she's with me...Yeah, we'll both be there. See you soon."

"Jane, what is it?" Maura asked, clearly seeing the distraught in Jane's eyes.

"My father..."


	3. Cannonball

**Cannonball**

_"Jane, what is it?" Maura asked, clearly seeing the distraught in Jane's eyes._

_"My father..."_

Jane stood up. She didn't care that she was naked. She didn't care if the drapes were open. Her peaceful morning had been shattered by a phone call.

Maura didn't know what to say. She knew that the words Jane just spoke broke her a little. Jane's relationship with her father had always been a point of contention since his infidelity was revealed. She loved her father, but she was so disappointed with him. Then, when he came back to ask for support with his cancer treatments and the annulment, Jane had lost her mind and her childhood idol. She wanted to be like him. She wanted to provide for a family. She wanted to be seen as a good member of the community. His sins caused her more grief and anguish, than Paddy's did for Maura.

"Jane?"

"We need to go to Tommy's," Jane answered.

She got up like she was on autopilot. There was no emotion in her words, on her face, or her movements. Jane was almost robotic. She grabbed clothes quickly out of the small section in Maura's closet that she was afforded. Maura just sat on the bed and watched her. She wouldn't stop her. She knew that whatever was wrong was something big and catastrophic. She knew that whatever it was, it shook Jane to the core.

Her heart was aching for Jane. She didn't know what to say, but as she watched her dress in a pair of holey, light blue jeans, Maura knew that she had to move. She got up and went into the closet as well. She selected some of what she called her weekend clothes. Clothes that Jane had made her buy over the years. Clothes that she only wore with Jane. The pair of dark denim jeans and a cream colored scoop neck shirt would have to do. After all, they were going to be with family. It wasn't some big function.

When she turned around, she saw the look in Jane's eyes. They were vacant and lost. She knew that she had to do something in order to reach her. She had to bring Jane back. She needed to be there for her and she needed Jane to actually be present.

"Jane?" she tried to gain her attention as Jane pulled a light blue t-shirt over her head and fanned her hair out over her back, all in one gesture.

She didn't answer. She just continued to get dressed. There was just too much on her mind.

"Jane?"

"Hmm?" she finally answered.

"What happened with your father?" Maura asked.

She wasn't trying to be rude. She truly wanted to know. She figured that if she knew, she could be better prepared for whatever was about to happen while they were at Tommy's.

"He died," Jane said quietly as she gathered her keys and headed for the door without waiting on Maura.

Maura stopped moving. Francesco Rizzoli, Sr. was dead. Jane was in pain. Of that, she had no doubt. She could only wonder what fresh hell this was causing her lover. She didn't know if they ever completely made up after the divorce. She took a breath and finished getting ready.

She was downstairs faster than she had ever been. This wasn't a case. This was personal. She didn't need to look her absolute best. She just needed to be there for Jane and she would be. She wouldn't leave her side until she was told to go.

They went outside and got in Maura's Prius. Jane didn't trust herself driving at the time and allowed Maura to do it. She closed her eyes as they moved through the town to the house that Tommy was living in. It wasn't the Professor's, but it was nice. It was big enough for Tommy and TJ. He was doing good as a plumber and had taken over their father's business. Rizzoli and Sons was still alive and making a good name for itself. Jane couldn't have been prouder.

As they neared the house, Jane let out a big sigh. Maura wasn't used to her being so quiet. She wanted her to yell or something. This was unusual, but she knew that everyone grieved differently. But, Jane hadn't been this quiet when Frost had died. She'd railed and wailed. Jane had never been quiet about her emotions.

"Do you need something, Jane?" Maura asked as they neared the house.

"Don't tell them about the baby."

"What?" Maura questioned.

This was not the answer that she was expecting. She knew that Jane might be a little taken aback about Maura being pregnant, but she didn't expect that Jane would want her to hide it. She turned to steal a quick glance at the Italian before looking back out the windshield.

"I...we need to talk more about it. I need to talk to Frankie. I just... We need to focus on Pop right now. I am not saying that we won't tell them, but I just...can we not?" Jane asked in the end.

"If that is what you need today, then we won't say anything until you are ready to tell them, Jane."

"Thank you."

Those would be the last two words that Jane would say for the next few hours. Maura watched her sink deeper and deeper into herself. She saw the anger and the pain flash through Jane's eyes. But, nothing could prepare her for the lawyer from Florida that was there to talk to them all. If she thought that Jane was quiet before, while she was silently brooding, she hadn't seen anything yet.

Frankie, Tommy, TJ, Angela and Maura all sat in Tommy's modest living room trying to figure out what they were going to do about Frank Senior when the door bell had rung. The news had come from Florida that morning about Frank Senior's death. Kent had received the call and was asked to deliver the news. He'd called Frankie and Frankie got everyone to Tommy's. What they hadn't know was that Frank Senior had been dead for a few days and the officials in Florida were looking for next of kin when they found Frank's lawyer. He had started his trip to Boston to deliver the news and the will for the family to go over before everything went into probate. It was that same lawyer at the door, not two hours after they had learned of Frank's passing. He was dressed nicely, but his timing was lacking. Frankie had opened the door and let him in.

"My name is Cameron Bradford of Bradford and Associates in Clearwater, Florida. I represented your father with his plumbing business and other ventures while he lived in Florida. I know that this is probably not a good time for you all, but I wanted to leave this paperwork with you. I can follow up with you as you see fit."

Maura stood up and took the will from him. She nodded in acceptance and showed him to the door. She wasn't trying to be rude, but she knew that they needed time to grieve before they would worry about the will and whatever was left of Frank's life.

"We'll need to go to Florida and get his stuff," Jane said absentmindedly.

"I'll go," Frankie replied.

"No, you stay here. I'll go. You and Tommy both have work to deal with. I don't," Jane stated.

Maura gave her a quick look of shock, but she understood that this was one of the ways that Jane would get her closure with her father's passing. She'd talk to her about it later, but for now, she would let them grieve how they saw fit. She went into the kitchen and started making tea and coffee for them to drink. She didn't even think about it when she sat the paperwork on the kitchen table as she went to work.

She didn't hear Jane come into the kitchen. She heard the papers rustling behind her. And, she heard the gasp come from Jane's mouth. She turned around, cups of coffee in her hands, to see a mortified look in Jane's eyes. The look quickly turned to anger as Jane called out for her mother.

"MA!"

"What is it, Janie?" Angela asked as she met both Jane and Maura in the doorway to the kitchen.

"Who the Hell is Mike Rizzoli?"

"Mike Rizzoli? I don't know. Maybe he is cousin of your father's or something."

"He isn't a cousin," Jane said through clenched teeth.

"What's wrong?" Frankie asked as he joined them.

"Do you know anything about a Mike Rizzoli?"

"Who's Mike? A cousin? A distant relative or something?"

"According to the will, he's our little brother," Jane replied as she thrust the paper at Frankie.

"To my daughter, Jane and to my son, Frank Jr., I leave the estate in Florida and half whatever money I have left. To my son, Thomas, I leave all my plumbing goods, tools, and the assets from my businesses. To Angela, I leave the burial plots in Boston, and one third of my savings still in Boston. To Wiebke Baumhardt, I leave one third of my savings. And, to my last child, Mike Rizzoli, I leave the last third of my savings," Frankie read.

"Mike Rizzoli? We have a little brother? Pop had another kid?" Tommy asked as he heard the reading.

"It would appear so," Maura stated.

"Ma, did you know?" Jane asked as she eyed her mother.

There was a pause. The glare that Jane was giving her as she tried to read her mother was obvious. Angela took it in stride. She knew how much Jane idolized her father. She respected him and with the divorce and misfiled taxes, Jane lost it all. She'd had this small battle with her mother many times in the past as she covered for her brothers and her mother tried to get the truth out of her. Now, she was on the opposite side. She was looking for lies in her mother's gaze. She didn't find them. She hoped that she wouldn't. And, in the end, she didn't.

"No, Janie, I didn't. I had no idea. I wonder who he is or even how he is."

Maura had been pondering by herself at the name in the will. Her brain kept firing until it came upon a name. She knew that name from her years at BCU. Wiebke Baumhardt was a highly respected professor of history and German. Maura had wanted to take some of her classes, but they never lined up with her path in school, much to her dismay. She looked over the Rizzolis and wondered how she came to play in all of their family drama.

"Wiebke Baumhardt? She was a highly respected professor at Boston College. How did she know Frank?" Maura asked as she realized that she had recognized the name of one of her former professors at BCU.

"You don't think that she's Mike's mother, do you?" Frankie questioned.

"I don't know, but I am going to find out. Seems like Pop couldn't do anything without making it dramatic. No wonder we all do that, too. I've got to get out of here. I'm sorry. Call me once you all have the funeral planned or whatever. I just..." Jane stated and then fled the house.

Maura turned to apologize, but Angela stopped her. "Don't. Just go and stay with her. Don't let her do anything stupid. And, remind her that her family still loves her even though her father was a grade A bastard and broke her heart more times than should be allowed."

"I will, Angela," Maura told her as she followed out the door after Jane.

"Damn you, Frank. Once again you have shot a cannonball through this family, but this time, I think that Janie will pay for your sins. Lord knows, that Tommy and I already have. Damn you, Frank. Damn you for your selfishness and hurting this family again," Angela said as she watched Jane and Maura leave.


	4. Thousand Needles

**Thousand Needles**

Maura watched as Jane stomped through the house. She looked like she was on a mission, but she wasn't sure exactly what she was looking. It bothered Maura, because she didn't know how to help her completely and she wanted to take the pain away. The problem was. She didn't know what was the bigger cause of the pain: the fact that Frank was dead or the fact that she had another sibling that no one knew about.

Family was an important thing to Rizzolis. It always had been. They had even adopted Maura into their family before she and Jane had gotten together. She was grateful for that. Jane had shown her what she had missed. And the Rizzolis had given her experiences that she didn't get growing up. Family was everything to them. They lived and died for their family. Frank had broken that bond and their trust. He bastardized the one thing that he taught them to respect above all else.

"Jane?"

"Not now, Maura," Jane replied.

She watched go to the fridge and get a beer. Her eyes quickly moved to the clock on her stove. It read nine forty. She didn't say a word about it being early. Jane finished the beer in record time and went upstairs. Maura slowly followed her, opting to give her just enough space to let her muddle through her feelings, but still being close enough for her if Jane needed her. She was surprised when she found Jane in her yoga room in just her underwear. Her clothes having been discarded at the doorway. Maura just stood there and waited.

Jane moved from downward facing dog into the child's pose. Maura waited. She more than wanted to join her, but she didn't want to impose on Jane's thoughts.

"Just get in here," Jane said with her head still on the floor.

Maura took off her pants and her blouse and joined Jane on her own yoga mat. She sat in lotus position and waited for Jane to say something else. Jane turned her head slightly so she could see the honey-blonde. Their eyes met and Maura's heart broke. She could see the anger and the sadness in Jane's eyes.

"I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry?"

"I should have told you, Jane."

"Yes, you should have. But, I didn't make it easy on you. I left. We both quit trying. It wasn't working."

"It wasn't, no, but I still have spoken with you before I went to Frankie."

"Would it have stopped you?" Jane asked her.

"Probably not."

Jane let out a breath. She sat back and looked over at Maura. She could see the love that Maura had in her eyes. She wanted to be mad. She really did. But, it was Maura and Maura was her kryptonite. If it was anyone else, she would be furious.

"So, Frankie, huh?"

"He was the closet thing to getting you that I could," Maura answered.

Jane wanted to laugh. She knew that her brother, well brothers both, tried to have a fling with Maura. Neither of them succeeded, but that didn't stop Jane from worrying.

"It hurts that he could give you something that I can't," Jane finally said.

Maura's heart broke. She understood what Jane was saying. She hadn't come to the decision lightly, but she hadn't included Jane in it either. It was the most selfish thing that Maura had ever done, and now she was starting to regret it completely.

"I'm sorry, Jane."

"I need to get out of here. I'm sorry. This was a bad idea. I just need time to think," Jane said as she stood up and left.

Maura sat there. She wasn't sure what she should do. She understood Jane's anger. And, she knew that she needed to give Jane time. Jane had enough to deal with her father's death that this was just and added complication. She hadn't meant to hurt Jane, but she wanted a child.

She wanted the child and she wanted it with Jane. When it didn't look like that was going to happen, she asked Frankie. At least this way it was still a Rizzoli. Now her selfishness was putting a strain on her relationship with Jane, but more importantly with her family. She never wanted to come between them, but now, Maura would have to make sure that Frankie and Jane didn't fight. But, that wasn't the biggest issue that Maura was worried about.

She was worried about this new sibling, Mike. She decided that she needed to call her lawyer. He would know what to do in this situation. He would be able to help her help Jane. She just hoped that Jane would see it as a good thing. She was afraid of what Jane might say or do to Mike.

* * *

Maura was sitting in her house. Jane had dropped her off and then begged out to go do something. Maura knew that Jane needed some time alone, so she didn't fight her too much on it.

Instead, Maura went to her study and pulled out her roll-a-deck. She flipped through it until she came to the private investigator that her lawyers used. She knew that Jane would probably get mad at her for this later, but she wanted to help. She knew that Frankie would call in some favors at work to find out more about Mike Rizzoli, but Maura also knew that the report could be incomplete. She dialed the number.

"Yes, Jake, it's Maura Isles. I have someone I need you to find. I need to get a lot of information on them in a quick time period, interested?"

"Sure."

"The name is Mike Rizzoli. And, while your at it, see there is a connection to the former history professor at BCU, Dr. Wiebke Baumhardt. I don't know why, but I think that are related," Maura told him.

"I'll see what I can find. I'll call you tomorrow if I have anything. Do you want me to bill the usual account, Dr. Isles?" he asked.

"That'll be fine, Jake. And, thank you for your quick response. I'm sure will be in touch. Goodbye."

Well, that was one less thing that she would worry about tonight. Now, she just needed to make sure that Jane was safe and okay. She called Frankie. Out of everyone, he would find her first. He would know where to look, and then maybe they could talk, too.

* * *

Jane found herself wandering downtown. She wasn't lost, but she didn't know where to go. She didn't want to head home. Besides the fact that her childhood home was gone, lost because of her father. Her apartment had been blown up. The professor had returned from sabbatical, so that house was out. Her mother had moved in with Ron. She really had nowhere to go. She didn't want to go back to Maura's. She refused to go to Nina and Frankie's place. She knew that she needed to find somewhere to go, but she just didn't feel like it. So, she continued her aimless wandering.

She found herself at Boston Common. She sat down and looked around, wondering where her life went so wrong. She decided that she should have never left Boston, but that didn't matter now. It was done. She would have to deal with the consequences. She was a big girl.

She sighed. She didn't know what upset the most about the current situations. She was angry with her father. But, angry wasn't a strong enough word. She was pissed. She couldn't believe that he had screwed over her family again. He had another family that they didn't even know about. She had another brother...a sibling named Mike. She wasn't even sure how she was supposed to deal with this. She was the first born. She was the one that took punishments for her brothers. She was the one that taught them loyalty to the family. She stuck up for them when no one else would. And, now, there was another brother, a younger brother.

She sighed again. She wanted to scream. She wanted to yell. She wanted to go beat the hell out of her father, but now, she would never get that right. He was dead. And, even in his death, he still hurt them all. She was so angry but she didn't want to be. She wanted to let it go. She wanted to make her father proud and she wanted to always be proud of him, but now she couldn't. She was just so damn angry. And in her anger, she was scared. She was scared that she was going to lose everything. She knew that her anger was blinding her to helping her family. She needed to be the one there for them, but she'd walked away only to come back to a mess that she had no control over. And, there was one thing that Jane hated more than being scared and that was feeling like she had no control.

So, still she sat. Sighing and hoping that something would start to make sense to her again. She ignored her cell phone as it rang again. She wanted to silence it completely, but she was afraid if she did that she would miss a call from her mother. It was the only reason that it was still ringing. It wasn't her mother's ring tone. At least it wasn't yet.

"JANE!"

She looked up to see Frankie coming across the Common. He looked like he was on a mission. With all the missed calls, she assumed it was to find her. She knew that Maura wouldn't be the only one looking for her. But, she was surprised that out of everyone he was the one that found her first.

"JANE!" he called again.

She sat up on the bench a little more. She was making herself be seen. She was allowing him to get closer.

"Janie..."

"Frankie," she replied simply.

"What are you doing out here? Why aren't you with Maura? Everyone's been worried sick. Why haven't you answered your phone?" he asked her.

"I've been thinking."

"Is that dangerous?"

"It could be."

"What's wrong? I can tell that it is more than just Pop. What is it?"

"Maura."

"What's wrong with Maura?"

"You should know. You helped her do it. I just don't understand why. Why would you do it? Why wouldn't you tell me, either?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Maura's pregnant with your baby," Jane practically spit out at him.

"Whoa, there. She is? That's great. But, that isn't my baby. She made that very clear. And, then so did all the paperwork from the lawyers. That baby might be a Rizzoli, but it isn't going to be mine. It's Maura's and Maura's alone, unless you stick around now and help her raise it."

"Frankie..."

"Look, be mad at me for helping her out. She wanted a family and she wanted a family with you. But, you were off chasing some dream that no one knew about. Honestly, I think you were tired and needed a break. I just didn't think that it would take you this long to see that moving to DC was a shit idea, but it did. Maura was lonely. I am not saying that's a good reason, but you practically left here. She didn't know when you were coming back, and some times, if you were coming back. Hell, if Ma didn't know if you would come home."

"But, it was Maura..."

"And, she still loves you. That woman loves you so much that she wanted a mini you. So, she came to me and asked me to help. I talked it over with Nina and we both agreed. She told me that she would break the news to Ma when she felt the time was right. And, now we have all this shit to deal with. Look, be mad, but not at Maura. She just wanted a piece of you that she could keep. She loves you, Jane, but she wasn't going to hold you here. Maybe that is why she didn't tell you until you came home. She was afraid of what you would do," Frankie told her.

"What I would do? What I would do?! I would have come home sooner. I want to be in her life. I want to be in this baby's life."

"Then stop being an ass and go home to her. Ease her mind. We'll deal with the bullshit from Pop's will together as a family, like we always go. Just remember that Maura is part of that family now, too. Now, go home to your woman and do us all a favor and make her your wife," Frankie teased her in the end.

"Why?"

"Because God knows she is the only one that's stayed with you no matter what," Frankie explained. "At least answer her next call. I'll let everyone know you're still in town and not running away. And, that you're alive. Wouldn't want them thinking the worst, now would we?

Jane just gave him a weak smile as he stood up and started to walk away. She didn't move. She sat there for a little while longer and wondered. Wondered why it always felt like a thousand needles in her heart every time her father hurt her? Every time Maura hurt her? Every time her brothers hurt her? And, then she realized why. It was because she loved them so much.

She picked up her cell phone and dialed Maura's number. It didn't take her long to pick up. Jane told her all she needed to hear, "I'm on my way home."


	5. Battlefield

**Battlefield**

Maura sat in her office in the morgue. She was going over some paperwork when there was a knock at her door. She looked up and saw that it was the PI. She cocked an eyebrow at him, wondering what information that he'd found so quickly, and why he was at her door so early.

"What can I do for you, Jake?" she asked him as she waved him into the office and to a chair in front of her desk.

"Sorry for coming here, but I thought that you would want to see this for yourself. It wasn't that hard to get the information and I know that you wanted me to be thorough. So, I wanted to give you this to see how thorough, you really want me to be, Dr. Isles," he stated as he handed her an envelope.

"Is it bad?"

"I don't think so, but it is a little complicated," he replied as he sat and waited for her to read over the documentation that he'd brought.

She opened the envelope and started reading the contents. She read through the top few pages before she dropped all the contents onto her desk. She looked up at Jake and waited to see if he anything else to add.

"You found all this since last night?"

"Yes, ma'am," he replied.

"And, you're sure this is correct?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Then nothing else will be needed for now, Jake. Thank you for your prompt service. I'll make sure to let the agency know and I'll add a bonus with my payment for the quick and diligent work."

He nodded and left with a smile on his face. Maura sat there dumbfounded. She had information that Jane would want in the palms of her hands, but she wasn't sure how to tell her she got it. She finally decided that the truth was the best. She knew that Jane was in a fragile state and didn't necessarily trust anyone at the moment. Besides her own issues with the truth, it was the best thing for them at this point. Jane needed to know. She reached for her phone as she copied down the home address and phone number of Mike Rizzoli. She wanted to see Mike first.

* * *

Maura pulled up the ROTC quad at BCU. She hadn't been there in years, but she could see that it was updated and nice. She looked around and was slightly confused. She looked at the address in her hands and then back at the building in front of her. She was in the right place. Most of the students were ignoring her as they passed her by. Then she realized that this was the Army ROTC building.

"Excuse me," she said stopping a student in uniform. "I'm looking for Colonel Mike Rizzoli."

"The Colonel is the office," the student said pointing to the ROTC building. "Third floor, room 254."

"Thank you," Maura said as she turned towards the classroom building.

She went into the building and walked up the stairs, opting for the quick exercise. She found the room quickly enough and knocked on the door. She could hear some hushed, angry words from the other side, before the door was ripped open and a woman stood before her.

"Can I help you?" the woman asked.

"I'm looking for Colonel Rizzoli," Maura told her.

"Do you have an appointment?"

"Well, no, but I am the Chief Medical Examiner for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Dr. Maura Isles," Maura explained as she flashed her badge.

"Just a sec. You can have a seat there, if you would like. I'm sure the Colonel will see you."

Maura took her seat and watched as the woman knocked on another door. She was acknowledge and disappeared through the door. She came back moments later and called for Maura to follow her. She was lead into a bigger office and offered a seat across from a large mahogany desk. She sat down and declined anything to drink. She noticed that the high backed leather office chair was turned around backwards.

"Thank you, Kayla," a very feminine voice stated from that chair.

The door closed. They were left alone and Maura wasn't sure what to think. The chair began to turn around. Maura was faced with a blue-eyed, shorter, younger version of Jane.

"What can I do for you, Dr. Isles?" she asked.

"You're Colonel Mike Rizzoli?"

"Actually, it's pronounce 'Meeka,' but yes, I am. What can I do for you, Dr. Isles? Is there something that your father or you need from my mother's estate or research?"

"No...no...nothing like that. You just aren't what I expected. I am sorry that was rude of me. I am actually here on official business, I'm afraid."

"Well, let's see...my wife died in child birth last year and my mother is the reason I have this post, so I'm not sure why you are actually here, Dr. Isles. I don't have any more family to worry about except my young son and doubt that you would have been the first to tell me about him. So, what is it?"

"I've come about your father," Maura started.

"I'll stop you right there. I know that there was a man that was my sperm donor. I don't have a father. The man that made me left my mother before I was born. Why she saddled me with his name, I am not sure, but that is the only thing that I will take from him. Is there anything else?" the colonel questioned as she steepled her fingers in front of her on the desk.

"Do you realize that you have an older sister and two older brothers?"

"I am aware that man had another family, yes."

"Do you want to meet them?"

"I am not sure what you want me to say, Dr. Isles. I have lived my life knowing that I have family out there that may or may not know that I exist. I would hope that if they did, they would have looked for me. However, I do not have indication that they want anything to do with me."

"Frank left you somethings in his will," Maura stated.

"I want nothing from that man but the name I carry. He didn't see fit to be a father to me. Then, I don't see fit to be his daughter. Besides, I am sure that he was happy to know that the son he wanted to name Michelangelo was a girl named Mike."

"I understand," Maura replied.

"However, since you've found me and it seems that you know the other Rizzoli's personally, if they want to meet. I wouldn't be opposed to it. But, just remember, I don't expect anything from them and I don't want anything from Frank's estate. They can deal with it as they see fit."

"I'll talk to them and see, but this isn't easy for them either. They didn't know about you at all. They had no clue. Don't punish them for your father's mistakes."

* * *

Jane was staring at the walls in Maura's house when her cell phone rang. She wasn't surprised. She was disappointed. She wanted to be left alone in her misery for a while. She needed to think. She needed to process things about her father. She needed to plan her trip to Florida to get his things. She needed to not be so angry as well. She knew that she didn't think clearly or rationally all the time when she was angry or scared. And, she had to admit to herself that she was both.

She was scared of Maura. Not in the fact that Maura was a scary person, no. She was actually scared to love her. But, the more she thought about it, the more that wasn't right either. She was scared of getting hurt. She loved Maura. She did. But, once again, she'd been hurt by those close to her. And, that is what scared her. Her lover and her brother were having a child. She was sure that Maura had made sure that Frankie had no rights to the kid, but it was still his kid. And, even though Frankie assured her that it would be her child if she wanted it to be, Jane had doubts. And, that was why she was scared. She had doubts and she'd been staring at the wall for hours while Maura was at work...while Frankie was at the precinct with Nina...while Angela was the Dirty Robber with Korsak, and she'd been at Maura's staring at the walls, with no case, no class, and now, no father.

Holding the phone in her hand, she finally answered the call. It had only been two rings, but it felt like forever. She was quickly met with the sounds of a flustered Maura. Her defenses went up and her heckles raised. Distressed Maura usually meant something bad.

"Jane, have you heard me?"

"Wha? No. Sorry."

"I'm coming home. There is something that you need to know about your sibling. I'm on the way now. Are you still there?"

"Yes."

Ten minutes later, Maura came in her back door and found Jane still sitting on the couch, staring at the wall. She grabbed Jane's legs and sat down with her. Once she was settled, she handed Jane the information that she got from the private investigator.

"What's this?"

"I called someone to find out about Mike Rizzoli."

"Why?" Jane asked.

"Because you wanted to know and I knew someone who could get the information without Frankie getting in trouble at work."

"Thank you," Jane replied as she shifted through the paperwork.

"He has a son. He was a colonel in the Army, like Casey. Hmm...I'll save that for later. Wife died during childbirth. Mother died from cancer. Mother was Wiebke Baumhardt, Dean of the History Department at BCU. Sounds like a stand up guy," Jane said as she dropped the papers in her lap.

"Except that he isn't a guy," Maura told her.

"What?"

"Colonel Mike Rizzoli, US Army retired, is better known as the one and only daughter of Wiebke Baumhardt. Her name is Mike and is pronounced in the German fashion, which is Meeka. Colonel Mike Andrea Rizzoi served with distinction with the Engineer Corps. She was one of the first female Sappers and graduated with honors. She is the mother of Micheal James Baumhardt Rizzoli. Her wife's name was Ana-Maria Musslewhite, daughter of James and Sofia Musslewhite of Clearwater, Florida. Her mother Wiebke was the daughter of Uwe and Claudia Baumhardt of Munich."

"My brother is a sister?" Jane asked, still skeptical about the entire situation.

"Yes."

"I have a sister?"

"You do."

"You've talked with her?"

"A little," Maura answered truthfully.

"Did she know?"

"Know what?"

"About Pop?"

"She knew that he had another family. She also didn't care for him. She refers to him as her sperm donor. She feels about him about the same as you feel about Paddy being my father. She wasn't exactly looking for him to be father of the year. She gave up on that years ago," Maura said.

"Does she want anything?"

"No."

"Nothing?"

"Nothing but the name he left her with, her words, not mine," Maura replied.

"I want to meet her."

"I think she would like that, but I doubt that she is going to make an overture about it."

"I want to meet her before I go to Florida."

"When are you leaving?" Maura asked, knowing that they still had things to work through together.

"As soon as I can arrange it."

"I'll do that for you. You can use the Isles Foundation jet to get you there. I'm sure that we can arrange a truck to pick up your father's things. But, you will still need to settle some accounts and things in person. You are the eldest of the heirs and his heir apparent according to law."

"I know that. But, why would you give me the jet? He was never exactly kind to you," Jane stated.

"He was your father. He was your blood. You're hurting and you need this closure. I can give it to you. There is no other reason than that," Maura told her.

"We still need to talk."

"We do," Maura answered. "And we will. But, first lets navigate this battlefield you've built up in your mind about your sister and your father. Then, we can deal with everything else."

"It is a battlefield. In my mind at least. I want to be so angry with him...I have a sister," Jane said.

"Yes, Jane, you do."

"Ma is going to flip."

"Do you think that she'll consider Michael James her grandchild?" Maura questioned.

"Knowing Ma and babies, yeah. It's still a Rizzoli and she still sees herself as the Matriarch of the Rizzolis. God help Ron's family when and if they marry."

"I think your mother is a good woman. She is caring and loving. Both are good traits for a mother."

"Yes, they are," Jane replied, a little misty eyed as she looked at Maura's stomach and imagined the life growing inside it.

Her mind recoiled at the idea of Maura being pregnant again. It was a war inside her head, but it was a battle that she intended on winning. She didn't want to lose Maura, but she had to deal with her father and new sister first. She could only hope that Maura would stay by her side like she had when Frost died. She needed Maura now and Maura needed her. She nodded absentmindedly as she resolved that she could help Maura raise the child. As for it being hers and forgiving Maura and her brother completely, that was another war to waged on another battlefield.


	6. Empty Handed

**Empty Handed**

Jane looked at the paperwork that Maura had given her. She knew that she should at least call her sister. They needed to talk. She wanted to know more about her. She wanted to see what Mike wanted to do about the family. She would extend the invitation, but she couldn't make Mike come.

She sat the paperwork and reports down. She looked over at Maura in the kitchen. She could see her working on something for them to eat for dinner. She knew that she should take Maura up on her offer for everything with her father and Florida, but she wasn't sure that she could. She knew that it would be easier, but she couldn't help but wonder if she would feel like she owed Maura afterwards.

"I'm going out," Jane announced as she stood up from the couch.

"You're leaving?" Maura asked, suddenly puzzled at Jane's statement.

She could see the hurt in Maura's eyes, but she needed to get out the house. She needed to think. She needed to process everything and she couldn't do it in Maura's house. Hell, she had no where to go, really, except for Tommy's. She wasn't going to put him out. She'd get a room somewhere and then send a text to let everyone know she was all right. She needed to be away from Maura. She knew that it was going to hurt her, but she was hurting, too.

"I called Mike earlier. I am going to meet with her. I want to talk to her. She agreed to talk to me, so I am going to talk while she is willing. She's family and somehow I have to fix this," Jane told her as she headed for the door.

"Will you be home later?" Maura asked her, tears evident in her eyes.

"I don't know, Maura."

"Why are you really leaving, Jane?"

"Why?"

"Yes, I think I deserve to know. I know that this really doesn't have to do with your father. And, I doubt that it has to do with me being pregnant. Well, at least completely with me being pregnant. So, what is it? What went wrong between us?" Maura asked her.

"You used my brother."

"What?"

"Look. If we do this right now, we are both going to say things that we don't mean. I don't want to do that. I love you, Maura. I do. I don't think that I stop if I tried. But, you and Frankie hurt me. Am I happy that you're pregnant? Yes. Am I happy that it is my brother's child? No, I am not. And, as much I want to be happy about it, I can't be. And do you know why?" Jane asked her as she grabbed her keys from the bowl by the door and opened it.

"No, why?" Maura asked almost sobbing the words out.

"Because he can give you something that I never can," Jane said and then left.

Maura stood there dumbfounded. It was the one scenario that she never expected from Jane. She'd planned for angry, sad, and happy, but jealousy never honestly crossed her mind. She didn't think that it would be this hard.

She wrapped her arms around her midsection as she sank to the floor. Sobs wracked her body as she fell against her cabinets. She looked at her hands and saw the emptiness there. She needed Jane's hand in her own. She didn't think that she could do this alone. She sobbed, wailed and cried as she realized that she might have destroyed the best thing in her life. And, that was where Angela found her an hour later when she came over to see Jane.

* * *

Mike sat at the diner down from the precinct. She had MJ with her and her TA, Kayla. She smiled at the younger woman who had proven herself to be a Godsend after Ana-Maria's death. She looked down at the little bundle in her arms and smiled at his blue-hazel eyes. He reminded Mike so much of his mother. She was glad that they had named him after Ana's father, but she was still surprised that Ana demanded he be named Michael after her.

"I think she's here," Kayla told her as they both looked to the door to see a haggard Jane standing there.

"Take MJ. I don't know how long this is going to take. So, if you need to go, go. I'll see you back at the house," Mike said.

Kayla took the thirteenth month old and moved to a booth near the back of the diner. It was far enough away to give Mike and Jane privacy, but close enough that Mike could still see her and her son. She gave them a weak smile as Jane entered her space.

"Mike?"

"Yes, you must be Jane."

"Yes, sorry to have kept you waiting," she said as she took the seat across from Mike.

"It's no worry. But, seeing you in person now, I can see why your friend was a little taken aback by me earlier. I would say that Frank had some strong genes."

Jane gave a little laugh and nodded, "That he did."

"What do you want to know, Jane?"

"I don't know, honestly. I wanted to see you. I needed to see you."

"Why?" Mike asked her.

"Pop was everything that I wanted to be when I grew up, you know? I idolized him. He had his own business. We helped him out in the summers. He taught me to be tough and not take too much shit. He was proud of everything I did. I also know that he would have given me anything I wanted, if I had only asked."

"But?" Mike inquired.

"He broke my heart a few years ago."

"What did he do?"

"He divorced my mom and left. Months later he comes back to tell us that he was getting remarried. He wanted an annulment. Ma wouldn't give it to him. Then had the balls to come to me to ask her to do it. I couldn't believe that man that raised me to be a good Catholic girl and to take care of my family above everyone else would want me to do something like that. He wanted me to get Ma to agree to it and it would make us bastards. I wouldn't do it."

"I never really met him, except once. I was already in the Army, but I was on leave and visiting Mutti back in Florida. I think that this was about four years ago," Mike told her.

"How'd that go?"

"Needless to say, he was surprised to see me. He didn't know that I was a girl. I didn't care that he was my father. He tried to tell me do something and I looked him squarely in the eye and told him that he didn't have the right. I didn't have a father. And, I didn't care who he was or if he even did marry my mother, I would never respect him or call him any version of father. Mutti was angry with me and she scolded me later for it. But, I didn't care. He was just a sperm donor. He was never my father. He was never man enough to be. I didn't need him, not did I want him in my life by that point."

"Did you know about us?"

"Eventually, yes. I was in college at the time, but it was something said in passing. It didn't register until I came to Boston to be with Mutti while she was sick. I ran into some soldiers being awarded by the city. I was asked to attend the event, but I didn't. I understand that you were awarded a medal of valor or something there," Mike answered.

"I was."

"I think that was the first time that I realized that I might really have siblings. I saw your picture in the paper. Ana asked me about you and I told her that you might be a cousin or something, but that I had no contact with that side of the family. She let it go, but I could tell that she wanted to find out more."

"Why?"

"She had a big family and I didn't. I guess she thought that I was shorted somehow since it was always just Mutti and me really. She taught me a lot about how to love and family. But, I decided that or rather I convinced myself at some point that you all knew about me and hated me. So, it was easy not worry about it," Mike replied.

"And, the Maura walked into your office..."

"Yes."

"She has that way about her," Jane admitted.

"Why do I not doubt that?"

"I'm heading to Florida soon to close out all of Frank's accounts and such down there. Are you sure that there is nothing that you want? Not even from Florida?"

"No, there is nothing that he can give me now. This is my home now. My life is here. I plan on raising MJ here and training some new officers. There is nothing for me in Florida. My mother and wife are buried here. All that Florida has for me is beaches and Disney World, and neither of those are tied to Frank. Sorry."

"Don't be. I understand. I hope that you'll agree to meet the rest of the family. And, don't be surprised if Ma tries to adopt you, because she will. And, MJ, too. She loves kids."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"We have family dinners at Maura's every Sunday. I don't know if we are or not this week. But if we are, would you come?"

"I'll have to ask Kayla."

"The woman who took MJ, I'm presuming."

"Yes, she's my TA."

"Your teaching assistant? Isn't that frowned upon by the university or something? I would think that she's a little young for you," Jane stated.

"Oh, not like that, Jane. She is my TA, yes. She also babysits MJ. She lives next door. Her older brother was captain under me when I was on active duty. He called me and asked to take her under my wing to help her with her work study program for tuition. She's stayed on and I pay her outside of the school for helping me out at home. Her major is early childhood education and working with MJ is part of her graduate project."

"Well, that's good. Bring her, too, if she wants. She can play with TJ, Tommy's son."

"Okay."

"You don't have to, but I am sure that once I tell them all that you are our sister that they are going to want to meet you. Don't feel pressured. I know that this is weird, but I want you to be in our lives. You are our family."

"I'd like that."

Jane moved to get up but stopped. She pulled out her phone and looked at it. There was an email from Maura. Her eyes got sad, then angry, then sad again.

"Jane?"

"Yeah?" she inquired looking up to her "new" baby sister.

"Everything will work out. You'll see. But, whatever that was, let it go. Call her and apologize or scream or whatever you need to do. Just don't let go."

"Wha?"

"I know that look. I made it, too. Don't let her go."

"Don't let who go?"

"Whoever has you so turn around? And, don't try to tell me that it isn't a woman. Only a woman could do that to you."

"I need to go," Jane said. "I'll call you about Sunday dinner. Thank you for meeting with me."

Mike watched her leave. She knew that something was bothering Jane, but it wasn't really her place to say anything yet. They weren't there. She was glad that Jane had reached out, but she hoped that Jane could end the turmoil that she saw in her eyes. She chuckled about the thought of a family dinner. Ana-Maria would be ecstatic that she finally had a family to call her own. It might have been thirty years too late, but at least they were both trying.

* * *

_Jane,_

_I know that you are upset with me. I get it now. And, honestly, I have to tell you that I never thought about it being a competition between you and your brothers. If it was, you will always win. I never meant to hurt you that deeply and I am sure that Frankie didn't either. If Nina had any idea that this would have been the outcome, I doubt she would have agreed to Frankie being the donor either. I know that this is going to be a sore spot between us, but I don't want to lose you. I love you._

_I was selfish. For the first time, I did something for me without completely thinking it through. And, I have hurt you. You must know that it was never my intention to do that. I've always wanted a big family, you know that. Which is why I was so happy when your family accepted me as one of their own. When you finally admitted to loving me, I thought that I had finally gotten everything I wanted in life. But, then you left and we started to drift apart. I know that isn't a good excuse, but it is the only I have. I think that I figured if I couldn't have you personally, I could have part of you. But, I see that was wrong too, because it is Frankie's child. I am sorry. I cannot apologize enough for the pain I've caused._

_Now, you have to deal with your father and his mess again. Go to Florida and figure it out. I'll be here waiting for you. I've never stopped waiting for you._

_The jet will be waiting for you. They've been instructed to fly you to Tampa. There will be a truck and a car waiting for you at the airport. A moving company will meet you at the apartment and then follow you to his business front. I've taken care of it all, including lodging. They will give you all the information on the plane. Please don't think about paying me back. This is the least that I can do for you.  
_

_Just know that I still love you. I want you to trust me again. And, I'll be waiting for you._

_You have a room waiting for you at Fifteen Beacon if you want it, for as long as you plan on staying in Boston. Please stay. And, remember that your family loves you, too._

_Love, Maura_

Jane wanted to cry. She really did. She could feel the pain in Maura's email. She fell back onto the bed in the hotel room. Her phone fell out of her hand and slide across the duvet.

She looked at her hands. They were empty. She felt empty inside. Maura was still offering her a hand to hold. Even, Mike was reaching over the divide. But, here she was still as empty handed as she was when she arrived in Boston a few days ago. She couldn't help but cry herself to sleep.


	7. Gone Tonight

**Gone Tonight**

Maura let Angela get her into the living room and onto the couch. Angela went to the kitchen and got a glass of water and a washcloth. She wiped up Maura's face and handed her the glass of water. Maura sipped it slowly. There eyes met and Angela gave her a questioning look.

"What's going on, Maura?" she asked her.

"Jane left me."

"What? Why? What happened?" Angela fired off the questions so quickly that Maura couldn't answer for a few seconds.

"I broke her trust."

"How?"

"It isn't important."

"Sure it is," Angela told her. "Jane wouldn't do something this drastic unless it was something big. What happened, Maura? Does this have something to do with Paddy? You know that I don't like it when you two fight. I think of you both as my daughters, so tell me what happened."

"I was selfish and I did something without asking Jane about it," Maura told her in a round about way.

"Was it life threatening?"

"No."

"Did it hurt anyone?"

"Physically, no. Emotionally, yes," Maura answered.

"So no one got hurt, except for Jane. She'll get over it, Maura. Just don't let her go. Tell her how much you love her and keep reminding her of it."

"I don't know, Angela. I really didn't think this through. I don't know what to do."

"Talk to her. Email her if she won't answer your calls or texts. Don't give up. Be just as stubborn as she is. You did it once after she shot Paddy. I know that you can do it again," Angela told her.

"I'll do my best."

"Well, I was just coming over to tell you that we won't be having dinner this Sunday. There are just many things going on and all. Janie's talking about going to Florida. Ron is at a conference. Korsak and Kiki are on vacation this week. Plus, Frankie just caught a case that looks bad. So, you rest up. Keep on Janie, and I'll come by to check on you. Okay?"

"That sounds fine, Angela. Thank you for coming over to let me know. If you'll tell me the menu for next week, I'll go ahead and prepare for it."

"I'll text it to you later. Just get some rest. Eat something and call me later if you need to," Angela said.

"Thank you," Maura replied and nodded as Angela got up and left.

Maura grabbed her laptop off the table and began to write Jane an email. She thought about it and then hesitated before sending it. Instead she picked up her phone and called the Isles Foundation jet. She arranged for Jane to get to Florida. Then she went online and set up everything else that Jane would need, or she could think that Jane would need, in Florida. She rewrote the email and finally sent send. Now all she could do was wait and hope that Jane could forgive her.

* * *

Mike was sitting at home watching TV. She'd sent Kayla home for the evening. She was happy. She had to admit that Jane seemed like a nice person and would be someone that would help her out if she needed it. Sure they were sisters, but they didn't know each other. It would take time, but she hoped that they could have a good relationship.

She thought about Jane's proposal for coming to their weekly Sunday Family Dinner. She thought that it might be awkward, but it was a good idea. She didn't want to admit that she was lonely. She didn't have any real family anymore, but now, she suddenly did. She knew that Ana-Maria would have pushed her into it if she were still alive. She grabbed her cell and her laptop.

She figured that she wanted to be prepared if she went. Jane had obviously done some background checks on her, so she decided to do her own. Google, after all, is an amazing thing. She was learning about how heroic or stupid her sister could be, depending on how you thought about it. The more she read, the more she realized that she was like Jane. She'd just joined the Army instead of a police department. She was reading about Frankie when her phone rang. It was Jane.

"Can we talk?"

"Sure?"

"I'm sorry. I know it's late, but I need to talk to someone. You are family, but you aren't, you know? I need someone outside the situation," Jane told her.

"Sure. Do you want to come over? I don't want to wake up MJ."

"Yeah, that's fine. I'll be over soon. Thank you," Jane replied and hung up.

Mike looked around her small home. There was nothing for her to be upset about or hide. She turned off the TV and went into the kitchen to check her stock on beer. Seeing that she was running low, she put another six pack in the freezer. She'd move it down the fridge later.

* * *

Jane stood out in front of the small house just outside of the Charlestown Area near Cambridge. She recognized it as housing for the professors at BCU. She walked up the front steps and knocked on the door. Mike opened it and let her in.

"Sorry."

"Don't be. MJ is asleep, so we'll have to keep it down. It sounded like you needed someone to talk to and that you didn't have a lot of options. I guess I should feel honored that you called me of all people to talk to," Mike told her.

"Well, your family," Jane replied like it would make sense.

"Well, there's that, but I don't know and I don't know anyone else involved I am. Plus, I know how hard it is to go home after being away. Everything's changed and you're not happy about it. I get it. So, what brings you here to darken my door tonight?" Mike asked.

"I don't know if you know that Maura, Dr. Isles, and I are an item. We've been together for a while, but we made it official before I left for the FBI. I've been gone a little over a year and then I realized that I missed home. I wanted to come back home to her."

"There's nothing wrong with that."

"Well, I get here and I found out that she's pregnant."

"Okay, that's something I didn't see coming. If I can ask, do you want kids? I mean, had y'all talked about it?" Mike asked.

"We have...in the past, but it was never anything concrete, you know? Like it isn't something that we sat down and planned. She wasn't sure that she would be a good mother because of her upbringing and I'd lost my baby because of the job, so..."

"It was just an idea," Mike offered.

"Yeah. I want a big family. I do. I want a family of my own, but I was beginning to think that no one would want me because of brash and dedicated to the job I am. Then I got pregnant with Casey's baby. Then I lost it while I was protecting a witness...she was an innocent teenager just trying to get through high school without dying. I wanted to be so upset about it, but I realized that I didn't love Casey. We weren't going to raise the kid together, you know? I even asked Maura to be there for me. I wanted her to help me raise it and then I lost it," Jane told her.

"I'm sorry."

"Well, we just talked about it in passing after that. Like we weren't sure that we would ever have kids, or if we did, we'd adopt. We never planned it out as a couple, you know? Then I come home and she's pregnant with my brother's baby."

"Whoa. Wait a minute. She slept with one our brothers?"

"No, not like that. Frankie donated to her. He gave her the one thing that I never could. I feel so guilty about leaving her tonight, but I am so angry at the same time. I don't know what to do. Then, I thought about what you said at the diner earlier."

"Maura texted you or emailed you, didn't she?" Mike inquired.

"Yes."

"What do you want to do?"

'Whatcha mean?"

"What do you want to do, right now? Forget everything else, what do you want to do about the child? Do you want to be its mother? Do you want to love it?"

"Well, yeah, I do, because it is part of Maura."

"Then, your real hang up is the fact that your brother is the father?"

"I guess it's part of it. I just don't want to be like Pop, you know? I don't want to get into a relationship with her and then flake out down the road."

"Do you honestly think that you'll do that?"

"I left Boston to go to DC to teach at the FBI Academy," Jane deadpanned.

"Okay, but you came back. Maura still loves you. You still love her. Did Frankie agree to give up rights to the kid?"

"According to Maura, yes, he did. She even got him to sign a contract. He didn't even know that she was pregnant until I told him the other day. He's agreed to keep quiet until Maura decides to tell the family. But, this is something that he can lord over me. He can get her pregnant and I can't."

"Oh, get over yourself, Jane."

"Excuse me."

"You just admitted that your problem isn't that Maura is pregnant, but that your brother is the father. Grow the fuck up. Did she tell you why she chose him? Did she give you any reason?" Mike asked her.

"Yeah."

"And, that was?"

"So the baby would be a Rizzoli and look like me."

"There's your answer. She loves you. She wanted a baby with you. She used the closest thing to your DNA that she could. She made sure that Frankie wouldn't be able to take the baby from you. And, do you know why?"

"No."

"Probably because she wants you to adopt it. She wants you to be the child's other parent. She knows how much family means to you. She used your family to make sure that the baby would still be family, that it would still be a Rizzoli in more than name only. She is trying to share the gift of life and your are angry at your brother for helping her with that. Now, don't get me wrong, I'd be mad too, but you're punishing her for this. I am not saying that this is going to be easy, but you have to get over yourself and think about that child. If you still love Maura, are you going to be woman enough to be the child's other mother?"

* * *

Maura made her way up to bed. She was tired and sad. She was frustrated and hurt. She knew that Jane had a point. She should have discussed it with her before going to Frankie. She ran her hands over her abdomen. She felt bad about that, but she had her reasons. They were selfish, but she wanted a Rizzoli baby.

She lay back on her bed and looked at the ceiling. Jane was gone tonight, again. Maura was alone, like she had been most of her life. She sighed. At least she knew that Jane would be taken care of while she was in Florida. That was important to her. If Jane couldn't come home, she would find a way to be with Jane. She'd had too many nights with Jane. She didn't want anymore.

She called the hotel and found out that Jane had indeed checked in. She made up her mind. She was going to see Jane. They needed to have it out. They needed to talk. They needed to yell and they needed to do it on neutral ground. The hotel was the perfect place to do it. She didn't want another night with Jane gone. She was going to fight for her. She was going to fight for her family.


	8. What is Love?

**What Is Love?**

Jane left Mike's house and headed for the airport. She wasn't sure exactly how she felt about the situation. Mike may have had a point about her being jealous of the fact that her brother could give Maura children when she couldn't, but it was more than that. She felt like she had every right to angry with the both of them. Maybe she just needed time and distance, something that Maura was actually supplying. She parked in long term parking and texted her mother where car was located. She'd take a cab home later.

Jane made her way through the airport and to the private concourses. She found the hanger that Isles' used for their private jet and made her way over. She was greeted by the pilot. They'd met before when she and Maura had flown back from Paris. He welcomed her, again, and took her to the plane. She boarded and got set while they finished their checks. A steward brought her a bottle of water and a menu for a simple in flight meal or snack, her choice. She smiled as she looked over the listing. It was then as she was reading it, that she thought of Maura. It was just before take off, so she sent her a quick text telling her that she was going to Florida right then. At the end of the text, she thanked Maura for usage of the jet.

She sat back and closed her eyes. She tried not to think of anything. She didn't want to. She wanted to just forget about everything for a while, even the fact of why she was on the plane. Thankfully the jet's staff left her alone. For about three hours, she just slept and left the world behind. Nothing mattered and that was what she needed.

Once they landed in Tampa, she found her way to the car counters. Instead of renting a car, she found that a car was waiting for her. Maura really had thought of everything. She put her few bags in the car and head out of town and towards Clearwater. She didn't know how long it would take, but the GPS was stating a little over half an hour to town. Then, she had to find her father's apartment or house or whatever he'd been living in. She had the address, so she punched it into the GPS and was on her way. Twenty minutes later she was pulling up to a small patio home on the edge of town.

"He had a good view," Jane said as she got out of the car.

She grabbed the envelope that the lawyer had left. She dug around in it until she found the keys. When she had them, she walked up to the front door. She didn't realize that she was holding her breath until she had the door unlocked and open. She took a tentative step inside and waited. She didn't know what for, but then she started looking for the light switch. She flipped it up and looked around the living room of the house her father had moved into when he'd left.

She looked around the house. There was nothing really there. She decided that all the furniture and clothes would be donated. She knew that no one needed them back in Boston, so there was no point in hauling them off. She started to empty the fridge and the cabinets. Some of the stuff she'd take back and give to Tommy to help ease his grocery bill. The stuff she couldn't identify she just trashed. By the time she was done in the kitchen, she realized what time it was and decided that she needed to crash for the night. She wandered around the house until she found the bed room. She didn't even really undress when she fell onto the bed and asleep. Tomorrow was another day and she would deal with it all then.

By noon Jane was at her father's small business office. It wasn't very big and she was surprised that he could afford it. There wasn't much inside it, either. She found stacks of flyers, cards and mailers. The office boasted a computer, telephone, and all-in-copier. She figured that she'd take those with her. She could sell them if no one wanted them in family. She grabbed all the tools and plumping supplies and threw them in the back of the truck of what was going back to Boston.

By the end of the second day, she'd packed up most of everything from Frank's place. There wasn't much else to do, but she didn't want to go home just yet. Maura had arranged for her to have a room there, but she hadn't checked in yet. And, she largely been ignoring all the calls and texts coming from Boston. She just wasn't ready to come home and face everyone.

She'd finally thought out her issues and it wasn't just jealousy that she was feeling. She felt betrayed. Trust was always an important part in everything that she did. It was why she ended things with Rafe. She couldn't trust him. When her Pop left and asked for the divorce, it crushed her. He was the one that taught her about right and wrong and that trust was a must in relationships. He'd broken every more she held dear along with her heart. She didn't think that she would ever learn to trust anyone again. Then, she fell for Casey and lost him. She could never be what he needed or wanted and he couldn't do the same for her. They were in love with the idea of each other more than they were in love with each other. That was one of the reasons she turned to Maura. Maura had been there. She'd picked her up and kept her safe. She fought for Jane and her sanity. She didn't let go. But, Maura had broken her trust as well.

Trust...love...relationships...everything was broken and Jane was just a shell of who she once was. She hated to admit it, but Maura's faux pas was worse than anything that Hoyt had ever done to her. Maura had broken her completely and she wasn't sure that she would actually go back to Boston to stay. Time was the only thing that could heal her wounds, both physical and mental. And, maybe after some time, she could learn to trust Maura again. The more she thought about it, the more it hurt right now. Her lover, her friend, her bestie had gone to her younger brother to have a child. It wasn't just something that she could take casually. And, honestly, she didn't know what Maura was thinking. And, maybe that hurt the most. Had she been so far gone and so removed from the situation that they didn't feel like Jane needed to be consulted? She tried to think back over the last year and she couldn't pinpoint a time where she wasn't available for one of them to have called her to ask about it. Hell, she might have even agreed to it if they had just consulted her. She understood Maura's points on using Frankie, but that didn't make the situation any less painful for her. All she could ask herself was "what is love?" Because she'd been dealt some pretty shitty hands in that department.

* * *

It had been two weeks since Jane had gone to Florida and no one knew when or if she would come back to Boston. Maura had secluded herself in her home and barely went to work. She was depressed and she knew that it was her own fault. Frankie had become very tight lipped about it, but Nina and Angela both knew that he knew more than he was saying.

Mike hadn't come around and she hadn't heard from Jane either. Maura had called to ask. She told Maura about their conversation and that was when Maura knew how deeply and badly she'd actually hurt Jane. It wasn't the jealousy of it being Frankie's baby. It was that Maura hadn't asked fully, nor had she consulted with Jane about it. And, Maura knew that it was all her fault. She was the one to blame. She could admit that. She'd have to pony up to Angela and explain it the next time she asked. She didn't fear the repercussions. She welcomed them. She wanted to be punished because then maybe she wouldn't feel so bad.

At this point, Maura wasn't even sure if Jane was even in Clearwater. She suspected that the lawyers had finished up everything last week, but she doubted that Jane would answer her call if she tried. She figured that Jane had gone back to the FBI Academy to finish teaching the newest recruit class before their graduation. And, maybe that was what they needed. A break. She didn't want it, but she still emailed Jane daily to tell her how much she loved her. She knew that Jane was getting them and at the minimum opening them because she'd asked for read receipts for them all. Maura took that as a good sign.

But, she was afraid at the same time. She loved Jane, but she'd fucked up. She could actually say that. She'd fucked up, but she wasn't going to terminate the baby. It wasn't the kids fault that things were so screwed up. Again, she would deal with the consequences of her actions. This was her fault and she would take responsibility for it. She'd learned that from her own father's mistakes.

By the third week of Jane's absence, Angela had cornered her in her office. Demanding to know what happen between the two of them because Jane wasn't answering her phone calls either, Angela sat and waited. Maura told her everything. She watched as a gambit of emotions crossed the matriarch's face. She watched and she waited with baited breath for Angela to swear at her or yell or something. Instead the stoic Italian just stood and left the room. Maura knew that it worse than a screaming Angela. She was alone in her grief. She was alone in her misery and she had no one to blame but herself.

And, then it happened. A month after Jane left, Maura saw it. She knew that it was common, but she went to the doctor to make sure. She was rushed to the emergency room and then up to the birthing ward. She was barely ten weeks pregnant, or she would have been. She'd lost the baby. She cried over the lost life and fell into a deep depression. Her emails got shorter and shorter until they stopped. Jane wasn't responding. Jane wasn't coming to back to make everything better. She'd done this not only to herself, but to Jane and the baby she'd never know. Two weeks later, she checked into the hospital because she didn't feel fit enough to care for herself. She'd left Kent in charge with no real explanation and no word on when she'd be back. And, for once, no Rizzoli checked on her. Maura had broken her trust with Angela and Jane. And all she could ask herself was, "What is Love?" Because Jane was the only one who ever taught her the truth about it.

* * *

The day after Angela found out that Maura had checked into the hospital she called Jane. She hadn't been to see Maura, but she could guess why she was there. When Jane didn't answer, she tried again and again until she would. After two days, Angela broke down and went to the hospital to see Maura. She could see how broken she was. She needed a friend. She needed Jane, but she was afraid that ship had sailed. When she confirmed that Maura checked herself into the mental ward after losing the baby, Angela knew that she had to find Jane. Even if Jane didn't forgive her completely about the baby, she wouldn't want Maura to be like this.

Angela called and called. She got Tommy to call. She got Korsak, Nina, and Kiki to call. She even asked Frankie, whom she'd given an earful to, to call. When that didn't work, she got Cavannaugh to call. He actually left a message. But, she still didn't call back. Kent called. He left a message. He told her everything. And, he waited for her to call him back. She didn't.

Instead, she sat in her home outside of DC and cried as she heard Kent retell the events that had happened after she left. She looked at pictures of her with Maura. They had been so happy. She wondered where everything went wrong. But, she could hear something else in Kent's voice. It was accusatory or sadness. It was laced with worry and that was what made Jane sit up and take notice. Maura was in the hospital and she wasn't there for her.

Jane called her mother back. She'd arranged to be picked up at the airport and taken Boston Mass General. All the while, the only question she had was "what is love?"


	9. Don't Let Go

**Don't Let Go**

Jane sat in Maura's room and watched her sleep. She was dressed in white PJ scrubs. She looked hollow and pale. Jane didn't like it.

It had been two days since Jane came back to Boston, again. It had been two since her mother had ripped into her for just leaving. It had been two days since she bothered to ask about her father's funeral. Two days and no changes. Maura was always asleep when she came to visit. She didn't stay by her side the entire time because she didn't know if Maura would like it. Plus she knew that were other important things to do. She helped her mother arrange a memorial service for her Pop. She helped Tommy arrange the tools and set up his second van. She met with the lawyers to get everything finalized.

She was amazed there hadn't been a funeral. Angela wouldn't allow it until Jane came back home or got in touch with someone. Angela had Frank cremated. She knew then, that they could have a service later. Frankie and Tommy agreed with her. They hadn't thought to ask Mike about it, but they were just as surprised as Jane had been that she was a sister and not a brother. Angela was working up the nerve to reach out to Mike when she found out about Maura and Frankie's baby. Time had gotten away from them all. They were more worried about Jane than a sister they barely knew. But, now Jane was home.

Jane thought about everyone that she owed an apology for leaving, but she knew that they would forgive her. She was the glue that kept the family together and thriving. Even though she and Tommy had their moments, they still loved each other and they still looked out for each other. And, it was in Tommy that she found a place to stay, a place to grieve and a place to rant. He didn't treat her differently. He didn't judge her. He just sat there and let her be. And, she loved him for it.

After a few days, she tried to catch Maura awake. She knew that they needed to talk, but most of all, she wanted Maura to know that she was still there for her. She hoped that Maura would agree to go home. She didn't like thinking about her in the hospital, but she also knew how she felt.

"Jane?" Maura asked as she sat on the end of her bed.

Jane had knocked before opening the door. She knew that Maura was alone and she was surprised to see her awake. She could see the anguish in Maura's eyes.

"Can I stay?" Jane asked as she slowly walked into the room.

Maura shook her head. Hoping that it was a dream, she just stared at Jane. She blinked a few times.

"Maura?"

"Oh...yeah...please, stay."

"Okay," Jane replied as she sat down in the chair across from the bed.

"How have you been?" Maura asked.

"Good, considering everything. I got everything with Pop dealt with. Thank you for the help."

"It was nothing, Jane."

"No, Maura, it was something. You made things easier for me. You were still taking care of me even though..."

"You used to tell me that it was because I cared too much."

"You do."

"I do. I always will, Jane. No matter the condition of our relationship, I will always love you and I will want to help you."

"I know."

Maura nodded. She was at loss of what else to say. She knew that Jane knew that she wasn't good at social interactions. She hoped that Jane would say more, steer the conversation. Jane gave her a lopsided smile. She stood up, grabbed the chair and scooted it closer to Maura. She didn't reach for her, yet. She wanted to, but she wanted to make sure that Maura wanted her comfort and her touch first.

"Maur..."

"Yes, Jane?"

"I'm sorry about the baby."

"It isn't your fault, Jane. There could have been a million reasons why I lost the baby. We both know that. I don't want you to feel guilty about it," Maura told her.

"Could it have been stress, though? I was angry. I was jealous, but doesn't mean that I didn't care about you and the baby. I know how it feels, remember?"

"I do."

"Do you think that you'll go home soon?" Jane asked.

"I can."

Jane gave her a quizzical look. She wanted Maura to tell her more, but she didn't want to pull it from her. She waited, even though the silence was deafening.

"Jane?"

"Yes?"

"I can go home. I just didn't want to. I was just so lonely."

"Ma told me. She's cooled off, too. She gave Frankie an earful though."

"I'm sorry I hurt you. I should have told you sooner. I was just afraid that it wouldn't work."

"Why?"

"I...there are...I can't..."

"You can't, what, Maura?" Jane asked.

"My body doesn't exactly want to have children."

Jane's face looked like she was trying to figure out who killed someone. She looked Maura up and down, but she couldn't see anything wrong with her. She thought about what Maura had said. Then her eyes widened in acknowledgement.

"How long have you known?" Jane questioned.

"Just before I found out that I was pregnant. My doctor wasn't sure that it would take. When it did, he decided that we were going to do everything that we could to make sure that the embryo would stay viable. It worked. He wasn't sure that the fetus would survive though. Turns out that he was right."

"Oh, Maura," Jane said as she stood up and hugged her friend.

"I didn't know what to do. I'd pushed you away. I even paid for you to go. I lost Angela. I lost my family. It wasn't like I could pick up the phone and call Mom. I had no idea where she was at anyway. I felt the depression starting and knew that I needed to do something, Jane. I didn't feel like I had the right to call you."

"You always have the right to call me, Maura. Always! I was angry, but that didn't mean that I wouldn't have come home to help you through this. I wouldn't have wished this on anyone. I was upset and I needed time. I didn't want anything bad to happen..." Jane started to say and then mumbled incoherently.

"Jane?"

"Yeah, sweetie," Jane said, not catching the endearment as it flowed off her tongue.

"Don't let me go."

"I'm not, Maur. I am not gonna let go, again. I'm going to hold you."

"Thank you," Maura replied as she sunk further into Jane's embrace.

She felt Maura relax into her. She felt her take a deep breath and release it. It was like Maura hadn't been breathing since Jane left. She rubbed her hand up and down Maura's back. She was trying to say so much because she didn't have the words. She pulled back to look into Maura's beautiful hazel-green eyes. They weren't as bright as she'd like them to be, but she could see the smile and the healing actually starting to take effect.

"Maura, can I take you home?"

"Will you stay? I mean, at the house. You don't have to share a bed with me. I know that we have some things to work through. I just..."

"Yes, Maura, I will stay. I've already moved into the guest room. I think that Tommy was glad to have his couch back anyway," Jane told her.

Maura smiled. Jane was back. She wasn't going to screw this up again. She couldn't. She needed Jane like water and she was willing to do whatever it took to keep Jane in her life. Even if they never got to where they were before, she still had a friend in Jane. And, that meant everything to Maura.

After a final check out and some recommendations for some people for Maura to talk with, she was released. Jane held her hand as they walked to Maura's car. The Prius was a surprise, but Maura didn't say anything as Jane helped her into the passenger side. She was just glad for the company.

Once they got home, Jane called the doctors and set up some appointments for Maura. She wasn't going to let her blow it off. She knew how much it could help.

She watched as Maura moved around the house. She was a like a ghost that was realizing she wasn't really dead. The sadness flowed off of her, but she seemed to be happier at the house. Jane had some news to tell her, but she didn't know if was the right time.

"Jane?"

"Hmm?"

"Why are you actually here?"

"I came to be with you. I needed to know that you were going to be okay. I missed you," Jane said truthfully.

"What about your job with the FBI?" Maura asked as she tried to calculate how much time Jane had missed.

"I finished my classes. I watched the recruits graduate and I'm waiting for something a little closer to Boston. It seems that they miss me here."

"What are you talking about?"

"I talked to Cavannaugh."

"And?" Maura questioned trying not to get her hopes that Jane was coming back to Boston.

"It seems that they want a more permanent liaison between the FBI and BPD. Cavannaugh asked for me. He knew that the recruit class was over. Davies is working on somethings. I have some classes that I'll have to finish and some that I'll have to take, in a few months I should be a full fledged FBI agent. Then, they want me to move back to Boston and work with BPD on any cases. Both parties thought that it would be better if the liaison was a Boston native. I know the department. I know most of the detectives. If I show up, they know that I'm not there to take over the case. I'll just be there to help. Of course, I'll have to come down to the morgue and talk with the Chief Medical Examiner of the Commonwealth. And, her expertise will be needed on some federal cases, as well," Jane explained.

"You're coming home for good?" Maura asked as she dared to raise her hopes now.

"I will be, but I don't know when. Right now, we are waiting for classes to begin again for me to get into some of them. They already have my basic scores and my physical scores. I haven't picked a specialty and I don't know that I will. I will be working in the field office here. I will still have to go to DC every now and again, but yeah, I'll be home for good. I guess I should get my house packed up and start looking for a new place here," Jane replied.

"You could stay here," Maura offered.

"This is your home, Maura. I wouldn't do that to you. I couldn't do that to you," Jane replied.

"I understand."

"No, Maura, you don't. You think you do, but you don't. I want to stay with you so bad."

"Badly."

"What?"

"You're always forgetting Mr. Adverb, Jane."

"Really? That's what you got out of that," Jane stated as she shook her head. "Maura, I still want to be with you, but we need to work on some things. We need to talk...really talk. I am not sure that it would be setting the right tone if I moved back in, but trust me that I want to, Maur. I want to be able to climb in bed with you and love you like we use to, but we aren't there yet. I don't know if we'll ever be there, but..."

"One day at a time."

"Exactly."

"Do you want help looking?"

"Yeah, I guess I do."

"Okay."

"Maur," Jane said.

"Yes, Jane."

"I still love you."

"I still love you, too, Jane."

"I just need some time. We both do. We both have to work on this."

"Will you go to counselling with me?" Maura asked her.

"Yeah...yeah, I think that would be good for us," Jane replied.

"Don't let go, Jane."

"Don't let me go, either, Maura. We'll figure this out. We'll work through it. Even if we don't become lovers again, I still want to be your friend. You're still my best friend, Maur. I don't want to lose that. I need you in my life."

"I need you in mine as well, Jane."

"Then just remember to hold on," Jane told her.

"I got it. I won't let go," Maura said as she moved closer to Jane.

She hoped for a hug and she got it. She had to hold back from melting into Jane. Things weren't perfect, but at least they were trying.

"Jane," Maura started.

"Hmm?"

"What about your father?"

"Mom and Frankie planned a memorial for next Tuesday."

"What about Sunday? Do you think that she'll want a family dinner? Has she invited Mike again?"

"I don't know. You'll have to ask her. As for Mike, I need to go talk to her, too. I need to make sure she doesn't think that we are a bunch of crazies. Well, too crazy, anyway. I'll go see her tomorrow about Pop's service. She has the right to be there. And, I think that I would like it if she was."

"Why?"

"Well, I know that she didn't love Pop like we did, but he was still her father. I think that it might give her some closure. She might not be sad or upset about it, but I think that it'll hit her eventually and I don't want her to wonder about it. Family needs to stick together. Blood is blood, but sometimes..."

"I understand, Jane. I didn't know I had a brother until he was on my slab, remember? I think that family is important, for all types, blood or not," Maura replied.

"Yeah. Yeah, it is. And, you're still family, Maura," Jane told her as she gathered her into another fierce embrace.


	10. Cue the Rain

**Cue The Rain**

Maura sat outside the office. It was their usual time for counselling, but today's session had the seeing Dr. Cranford separate. Maura had already had hers. She was waiting for Jane. It had been a long six months of counselling, but they were working through their differences. She was glad that Jane had chosen the doctor. She knew that it gave Jane some control over the situation. And, she knew how important control was for Jane.

The door to the office opened. Dr. Cranford and Jane stood there for a moment before Jane shook her hand and turned towards Maura. Maura stood up and met her near the main office door. Jane reached for Maura's hand and held it. She walked them slowly to the parking garage and Maura's car.

"Do you want to drive?" Maura asked her as she held up the keys.

"Can I take you out?" Jane countered.

Maura smiled. It wasn't often that Jane wanted to go out. And, was especially rare after a private session with Dr. Cranford. Maura smiled bigger and nodded as she dropped the keys in Jane's hand.

It had been a long six months. Their friendship had started over and Maura was doing everything that she could to earn Jane's trust again. Frankie was being good a detective and wasn't too big to ask Jane for help every now and again. The family was working to be together again. Jane was cementing them. She'd become the eldest and she was doing her damnedest to include Mike in things. The memorial service was held and Mike even came. They had all cried, but Jane felt like she finally had some closure with her father. She was still upset with him, but she wasn't angry. She was doing her best to not be angry in general. Anger only made her crankier and a cranky Jane wasn't pleasant, even for herself.

But, tonight none of that mattered. She was taking Maura out. If anything her session with Dr. Cranford taught her was that giving up her control to Maura had been a good growing experience for her. She knew that was one way that Jane could prove to Maura that she trusted her again. She had to find a way to give up some of her control

Before Maura had just taken it the night that she fed her while blindfolded. She moved further by massaging Jane and making her feel things that she didn't know she was capable of feeling. Maura had become the only person that got to see the vulnerable Jane. She got to see passed all the layers and trappings of the badge. Jane was a completely different person with Maura and she'd known that before. Jane was different, but she was the same. She could see it in Jane's eyes. She could see the love that Jane still had for her.

They hadn't done more than hold hands, but the touches and the gestures were starting to linger. The looks were deeper and more smoldering. And, Maura could swear that Jane was starting to dress smarter. She wasn't sure if it was the new job with the FBI or not. But, they had both grown in the six months since Jane said she was coming home. Maura had even given her the guest house to stay in, with a rent payment at Jane's insistence, and bills. It was a hard fought fight, but they both agreed that it would help them see things through if they couldn't totally avoid one another. Dr. Cranford even agreed.

Jane pulled up outside No. 9 Park. Maura's face showed in shock. It wasn't every day that Jane would willing get something this expensive, but it also wasn't every day that Jane took Maura out, either. Jane quickly got out, ran around the car, and helped Maura out with an extended hand. Maura took the offered hand and slowly stepped out. She wasn't worried about how she looked, because anyone that knew Maura knew that she was runway ready most of the time, but Jane... She looked over the pants suit that Jane was wearing and then realized that it wasn't her normal off the rack design. No, this was a tailored and perfectly Yves Saint Laurent suit. Jane hadn't been wearing the jacket, but had put it on as they walked into the restaurant. Maura would have been drooling if it was socially acceptable.

"Jane, you look wonderful in that suit," Maura told her as they sat.

"Thank you. I finally splurged a little. I decided that I really did need a nice outfit to go out in."

"Well, it suits you. And, it was expertly tailored to so off your fine curves. I think that you will have to fend off some attention while we're at dinner."

"I doubt that," Jane said as she handed Maura her menu. "You select something. I don't know what to get. Anything that you think I'll like will be fine, and it doesn't have to be a steak."

"That's good because there isn't any beef on the menu, Jane. However, there is something that I think you will like. Well, at least I think you will because you've never complained when I've made it at the house."

"I am sure it is fine," Jane assured her.

Maura ordered their food and as they waited, they talked. Jane couldn't help but feel like it had been before she'd gone to DC. Things were complicated but they seemed to be simpler then. She smiled at Maura, but turned her head when she heard a noise from outside.

"It's raining," Jane said.

"It is."

"Do you remember playing clue with me in my apartment during that storm while I was recovering?"

"Which time?" Maura asked with sassy, cocked eyebrow.

"Funny. When I shot myself. It wasn't the greatest idea that I had."

"Neither was jumping off the bridge into Charles River, but that didn't stop you...either time."

"No, it didn't. But, I was doing my job. I was saving lives."

"At the expense of your own," Maura added.

"I'm still here."

"Despite everything, yes, you are," Maura replied.

"I've always like listening to the rain with you. It seems calming. There are pretenses and no expectations."

"Do you still feel that way?" Maura inquired.

"I'm starting to again."

Maura smiled. Their conversation was cut by their food arriving. They ate in almost silence. Occasionally, Jane would ask Maura about the food and Maura would delight her with knowing not only what the dish was, but how it was prepared. Food was one of Maura's domains. Jane knew Italian, but Maura knew food and wine. She smiled as she thought about all the times that Maura cooked for her and she gave Maura grief about it. Jane smiled back at her.

After their meal was over, Jane paid the bill and led Maura safely back to the Prius. She was surprised when Maura gave her the keys again. Jane drove them home. Parking in the garage, they got out just as the storm opened up again. Jane couldn't help but laugh.

"At least we made it home," Jane said.

"But we both have to go out in it to make it inside," Maura added.

Jane walked to the garage door and looked out. It was a nice Fall rain, heavy and clean. She felt like the last year was being washed away. She turned and looked at Maura. She saw something that she hadn't seen in her eyes in long time. Maura looked happy, but it was more than that. She looked happy to be with Jane, like Jane made her the happiest woman in the world, and Jane liked knowing that.

"I guess we'll just have to wait," Jane stated.

"I guess so," Maura replied, catching Jane off guard at how close she was.

While Jane had been looking outside and admiring Maura, she had been lost in thought. So lost in fact, that she hadn't noticed Maura moving around the car to stand next to her. When she replied, Jane almost jumped out of her skin. She saw the mirth in Maura's eyes. The happiness she saw was amazing.

"It could be a while," Jane said as she turned back out to look at the rain through the garage door windows.

"I know, but I'm not running for the door. This is just a hazard of having a detached garage. It is something that I am quite used to, Jane."

Jane laughed. Of course, she was. Maura was almost always prepared for anything.

"Ever spent the night out here?" Jane asked her.

"No, I haven't. But, I don't always wear silk, either. This is a new top and I would rather not ruin it tonight. I am willing to wait, but you don't have to if gets too late, Jane. I am more than capable of entertaining myself," Maura told her.

"I'm fine."

Maura didn't respond. She just leaned up against the side of the car with just her butt and watched Jane. She watched the emotions play out in her dark eyes. There was something that she was holding back, but Maura wasn't going to push. Not this time, it took her years to get Jane to trust her enough to love her. She still had her love, but her trust had been broken. Maura was willing to do anything to get it back. If that meant standing in her garage while it poured right outside, then so be it. It meant that she was still with Jane and Jane was happy to be in her presence.

"Maura?"

"Yes, Jane?"

"Have you ever... I mean did you ever...never mind, it's silly."

Maura studied her. It obviously meant something to Jane and that made her curious. Why would Jane think that a question she was going to ask Maura was silly? Nothing Jane ever did with Maura was something that she would construed as silly. Frankie, Korsak or Frost, maybe, but not with Maura. With Maura, Jane was always serious, contained, bashful even. She was open and caring, but there was a marked difference in her countenance with Maura and Maura had noted it for years.

"Jane, just ask your question. Remember, no more secrets. We promised each other that," Maura told her.

Jane turned to face her. Lightning flashed outside and illuminated her eyes for the briefest of seconds. Maura would have gasped had she never seen the depth of emotion that Jane's eyes betrayed. Jane's eyes were blown and she was definitely aroused. She was containing herself and Maura was amazed at her willpower. Maura would have already had her against the car and kissing her into a stupor had she had the strength and urge to do so. But, Maura was more refined. She would kiss her blind against the door to the house just as they entered it instead. And, after a short while, she would drag Jane upstairs. She would reclaim the body that was once hers and she would make Jane remember how much they loved each other...physically as well.

Jane took a hesitant step forward. She could see Maura easily. She could see the love and trust in her eyes. Jane felt like a panther about to strike, like she was stalking her prey, but she could see that Maura wasn't frightened. If anything, she seemed delighted.

The simple ping ping of the rain on the roof rang out in Jane's ears. She swore she could hear her own heart thudding in her chest, but the din of the rain was drowning out everything else. There were no worries between them. There was no secrets anymore. Two weeks of sessions had sussed all them out, their fears, their wants, their hidden desires. But, none of that mattered anymore as their eyes met.

Jane leaned forward just enough to brush her lips against Maura's. She heard the gentle intake of surprise breath before Maura returned her kiss. And, then like a miracle, everything seemed right with the world again. Life seemed to make sense and didn't feel like such a punishment or chore. Jane felt grounded. The electricity of the kiss was only magnified with each roll of thunder and strike of lightning. Jane moved closer.

She could feel the heat coming off Maura's body. Her fingers itched and her palms were dying to feel Maura in their grasp again. She didn't even try to hold back. She pulled Maura's lithe body away from the car into her own. Her fingers dug into the silk as she tried to brand herself, her body, against Maura's and Maura loved every delicious minute of it. The war for control of the kiss was short and each battle brought a new victor, but eventually Jane acquiesced to Maura's lead.

"What is it about kissing you in the rain that feels so right?" Jane murmured.

"I don't know, Jane," Maura answered.

And, then there was a break in the rain. They took their cues to run to the house before it started again. Jane turned to go to the guest house, but Maura tugged her towards the main house instead. Jane knew it was too soon and she resolved that they wouldn't have sex tonight. No, they wouldn't, but that wouldn't stop her from making out with Maura on her couch like a teenager again.

They got just inside the house. Maura stepped out of her heels and Jane toed off her boots. Maura pushed Jane into the door as she locked the handle and deadbolt.

"Maura?" Jane asked just as the heaven's opened again.

"Cue the rain," she answered as she kissed her...thoroughly.


	11. If You Say So

**If You Say So**

Jane stood outside Mike's office on the campus of BCU. She was working up the nerve to talk to her sister again. She wasn't sure what she had been thinking months ago and all her therapy had helped her work through some things that she hadn't wanted to confront. One of those was the fact that her father had another child. Her baby sister was someone that she wanted to have a relationship with, but she hadn't pursued it after the one night that she went to talk to her before leaving town. She was mad at not only herself but also her sister for taking Maura's side in everything.

It had taken her months to deal with her anger. She had to leave to find herself, to begin anew, to see how self destructive she really was. And, then when she found out about Maura, she let it all go to come home. She realized how much she needed Maura and how much Maura needed her. It wasn't a true codependency. It was just how they were. They survived together. When she shot herself, Maura helped put her back together. When she jumped off the bridge, Maura was the one that called her reckless and stupid. But, Maura had never left her side no matter what she'd done. Maura was the one that never let her break apart. She was the one that helped Jane stay sane. She was the one that made Jane feel like she still had a purpose and a reason to keep fighting. Maura had given up on them because Jane had left. She walked away. She was the reason she was in pain. She'd left Maura before Maura had left her.

She had been working on her relationship with Maura. Things were starting to get back to their normal...their normal before Jane left. They both seemed happy with how things were going. They were starting over, but they were doing it together. They had acknowledged where they'd failed each other and their relationship. And, Jane was taking more time to work on her own issues, but she was staying in Boston. She knew that it was important for not only herself, but Maura as well.

But, that wasn't what brought her to her sister's door. Maura knew that family was important to her and told her to work on her relationship with her sister. It wasn't that Jane had been rude, but she'd left without a word. And, she felt like she owed her sister some sort of explanation.

She knocked on her door and waited. A few minutes later it opened and she looked at her sister. The thought about her being a "mini me" ran through her head quickly, but was easily dismissed. Mike's blue eyes weren't hard or cold as they looked back at Jane.

"Do you want to come in?" Mike asked her simply.

"If I can," Jane replied.

"So what brings you by? I figured that you'd left Boston and weren't planning on coming back. Your mother seemed to be worried about you, then for you, and then she got very angry. I must say that she is rather dramatic, but loving. I am not sure that I would have survived growing up in your house with her. But, I think that it is amazing that you did without too many issues."

"I'm not sure about not having issues, but she's my Ma. She loves me. I know she does, but sometimes, I'll admit, it is too much. "

"What brings you over?"

"I came to apologize to you," Jane told her.

"For what?"

"Disappearing on you like that. It wasn't right. It wasn't your fault that our father died. It wasn't your fault that my life was falling apart and I was letting it without a fight. I'm actually ashamed of myself for how I acted."

"Why did you do it?" Mike asked her.

"I gave up."

"But, why? You've been shot, stabbed, and whacked with a lead pipe. You've stared death in its face, but yet you still walked away. What was so different this time that you gave up completely? That is what I don't understand. You didn't give up before. So, why now?"

"I honestly don't know," Jane replied.

Mike just cocked an eyebrow at her. She shook her head and smiled. Jane just watched her, wondering what she was thinking.

"If you say so, Jane."

"Look, I know I messed up...big time. I can admit that. I have been admitting that. I just don't know where I went completely wrong. I'm seeing someone. I have been trying to dig deeper to figure out why I ran like that. I've run before, but never like that," Jane told her.

"And, what have you found out?"

"That I have some severe Daddy issues."

"I can see that."

"He was my hero, you know? I looked up to him. And, then he broke every thing for me when he left Ma. Then, he dies and we find out about you. I learn that he was never there for you, that you never really knew him, and he broke me further, you know? I was so determined before he died not to be like him, and then he died. I lost it. I ran away. I let everything pile up on me and left, just like he did. I did exactly what I swore I would never do. I became my Pop and I hate myself for it," Jane explained.

"If you say so, Jane, but that is just an excuse. You were scared, sure. You were angry, and that's understandable. But, you just fell off the face of the Earth. There was no goodbye, there was no this where I am and I'm okay. You just fucking left for Florida and then hightailed it back to Washington. That was the equivalent of a 'wham bam, thank you ma'am,' Jane. And, you didn't do to just me...and Maura, but your entire family," Mike stated.

Jane hung her head. She knew that Mike was right. She'd run and left everyone else holding the pieces. Her own mother had tried to put everything back together and failed. They cremated her father just so she could be at the service. She had done so much, but doing so little and it hurt. It hurt deep inside her heart and she wasn't sure that she would ever make the feeling go away. It hurt her family. It hurt her chances with Maura. It hurt Mike and she wasn't even really part of it all...yet.

"I have a lot to make up for and I'm trying."

"If you say so, Jane," Mike replied.

"I promised Maura I wasn't leaving again."

"You can't promise that. We both know that you might run and so does she. She wants to give you the benefit of the doubt, Jane, but can she really? Your track record speaks for itself. You've even admitted that you don't do well in relationships. How are you going to make this one work? How are you going to make yourself stay?" Mike asked her.

"I am going to fight for her everyday."

"If you say so," Mike stated.

"I am. I'm going to therapy. I'm trying to fix things. I'm talking. And, that is something that I didn't do before. Before, I would just deflect and move on. I didn't want to deal with it. I figured that if things broke, it was fate. I never looked at it objectively. I never paid attention to the evidence that I had in my relationships. I just let them end," Jane told her.

"And, now?"

"I see where I went wrong. I see what I could've done differently. I know that we were both in the wrong and we've admitted it to each other, but there is so much more. I gave up. I know that. I gave up and I let her go. I didn't fight for her like I should have."

"Why? Why didn't you fight for her, Jane? What happened that caused you to forget how much you loved her? Can you tell me why?" Mike questioned.

"I lost sight of what was important to me. I wanted a change so I left Boston. I said it was because I wanted something safer, but safer for who? That was the real question that I was trying to answer. Maura did her best to see me. I came home often in the beginning, but then I began to wonder why I was coming back so much. I knew it was for Maura and I knew it was because I loved her, but I didn't know if that was enough. I knew that she loved me. I knew that she would care for me. I knew that if I wanted I could have stayed with her and stopped working. She would have taken care of me, but I didn't want that," Jane told her.

"So what did you want?"

"I don't know and that was the problem. I could see me settling down, you know? Having the requisite two point five kids, the white picket fence and a dog in the yard. Hell, I had a dog at one point, but I gave her back to her owners when they were finally found."

"So, why didn't you fight for that?" Mike asked her.

"Because I didn't think that I deserved it."

"Why not?"

"Have you seen me?" Jane countered.

"What the hell does that mean?"

"I'm the daughter of a plumber. I'm a blue collar, Boston Italian, cop. I am not willing to give up my job and I refuse to let anyone pay my way. I work for everything I got," Jane told her.

"Except your relationships," Mike added.

Jane looked at her for a minute and then hung her head again. She knew that Mike was right. She fought for her family. She fought her job. She fought for justice, but she never fought for herself. For some reason, she deemed herself unworthy.

"Because I am not worthy of someone like Maura. She is so cultured. She's refined. She comes from money, regardless of the fact that she is Paddy Doyle's daughter. She wasn't raised by him. She made a name for herself because of her job and she's smart. She doesn't flaunt her money tremendously, but she likes the finer things in life. Things that I can't give her," Jane said.

"There you go..."

"What?"

"That is your issue," Mike told her.

"What's my issue?"

"You aren't afraid of Maura. You never were. I could tell that by the way that you both interact. You're different together. You're better."

"So, what?" Jane asked.

"You're afraid of her money."

"No, I am not," Jane countered.

"Yes, you are. You are afraid of her money because you have this preconceived notion of what your family life should be. And even though you are a woman, you believe in the stereotypical hierarchy of the home: a husband and wife and then the children. You want to be the bread winner. You want to be like your father in that respect. You feel like you should be the provider and you know that if you are with Maura, that she could fill that role easily," Mike explained.

Jane leaned back in the chair. Mike was right. For some one as independent as Jane was, she didn't see that she was trying to put herself into a role that was antiquated. She was trying to make things fit into holes that she'd made as a child. She didn't try to adapt her views as her world changed around her. She was afraid of Maura's money because then she could be a kept woman. But, she knew that Maura would never ask that of her.

"I need to talk to Maura."

"Yes, you do," Mike told her.

"Why do you so much about this?"

"You should have met my wife, Jane. Then, you would know. I was once you," Mike said.

"Coming to Sunday dinner?"

"I wouldn't miss it," Mike told her.


	12. Louder

**Louder**

Maura was sitting in her office just outside the morgue. It had been a rough few days. There had been a spree killer on the loose. Jane had helped out with her FBI contacts and Frankie made the arrest. Now, there was five bodies in the vaults awaiting pick up for burial. The families had been notified and their healing could begin. She knew that it would be a long process, but she hoped that after the court case was finished they would have their final closure. She knew that it wasn't much and that the families may never know why, but she gave their loved ones a voice. She made it very loud and clear now that they couldn't speak for themselves. The killer hadn't cracked. He was a sadistic sociopath. Maura knew that the FBI would study him and that the infamous BAU would likely review the case so that they could get to a profile faster for other cases in the future.

This is where Jane found her after hours of interrogation. Jane just watched her as she typed up her notes on the cases. Copies were being sent to the FBI for review, even though they hadn't officially joined in the investigation. It was just procedure because Jane had helped. It was a way for them to track crimes stats in Boston as well. Jane knew that they review them annually to see what type of presence to keep.

She couldn't help but smile at the honey blonde. The pure look of concentration on her face was adorable to Jane. She'd seen it many times over the years, but for some reason it seemed harder, more pronounced, today. It made Jane's own brow furrow in contemplation.

"What is it, Jane?" Maura asked without looking up.

"What is it about your reports that is upsetting you?"

"The fact that I have to write them."

"You have to for every case you work, though," Jane commented.

"That isn't the problem, Jane. I don't mind the paperwork. You know that. I hate the reason behind it. If that man hadn't gone on his spree, then I wouldn't have five bodies to write about it. I severally dislike writing up reports on murders, especially children. It is depressing to think about the depravity of man and what he is capable of. I see it every day and I have to give the dead back their voices, for just few minutes, in order to catch their killer. It is very mentally taxing. I don't know what it is about this case, but the voices are stronger and louder than before. It is like I didn't help them find their peace completely," Maura said.

"You think we missed something?" Jane asked, trusting Maura's "gut" even when she didn't.

"I didn't say that," Maura protested.

"I didn't say you did, but it is obvious that something is bothering you about the case. Do you want to review the files with me? I can go get them," Jane told her.

"No."

"No?"

"No."

"Okay," Jane replied as she moved into Maura's office and sat down in a chair in front of her dark mahogany desk.

"Did you get him to tell you anything?" Maura asked her.

"No."

"Nothing?"

"He's being quiet about the whole thing."

"But, he did it. Why wouldn't he claim responsibility? He would want us to know that he did it. He would want to flaunt it, but he's not..."

"Well, not to us, no, he isn't."

"That doesn't make any sense," Maura stated as she pushed back from her desk and she looked up into Jane's worried eyes.

"You want a crack at him?" Jane asked her.

Maura looked back down at her reports and then back at Jane. She doesn't think that she would fare any better than the accomplished agent before her. She knew that Jane was a great interrogator. She'd watched her many times, but she hadn't this time. She doubted that there was anything else she could think of for Jane to ask her. She knew that Frankie had been listening and watching his sister, too. He would have nothing to add.

"No."

Jane just watched her. She knew that the case had gotten to Maura, but she didn't realize how much until that moment. It was the third victim that did it. Jane could see it in her eyes when she released the body from the scene. There was something about this case that just ate at them all. Nothing made sense about who he selected to kill or how he killed them. The only thing that they were thankful for was that he wasn't targeting children.

"Let's just go home," Jane suggested.

Maura nodded. She finished up what she was doing and closed the computer. She knew that the reports were completed. She'd already emailed them to Frankie so he could add them to his case files. She'd sent them to Jane for the FBI files as well before sending them to the ME files.

"It's Sunday, Jane."

"I know."

"How long has your mother been waiting on us?" Maura asked as she glanced at the clock.

"Not long. She knew that we'd be late because of the case. But, this is the first Sunday that we've all been off together in months."

"Frankie and Nina are coming?"

"They're already there."

"And, Tommy and TJ?"

"Waiting on you to come home," Jane replied.

"So, they are really just waiting on us?"

"Yes," Jane answered.

"Why didn't you say that? You know how I hate to be late for anything. We need to go," Maura told her.

"Maura, Ma knew that this case took precedent. She keep the gnocci warm. Besides Nina and Frankie just got there. However, Mike and Tommy have had the boys there since earlier this afternoon. The boys have been playing together. Ma couldn't have been happier."

"I was surprised that your mother took Mike in so readily considering..."

"You're her daughter, too, Maura. What's so wrong with her adopting Mike? She was Pop's daughter. That makes her family."

"You mother is a remarkable woman," Maura stated.

"Yes, she is. One day, I can only hope to be half the person that she is. I'm afraid that being a cop has made me too jaded, though."

"You aren't jaded, Jane. You just know too much about the evil in the world. I think that you want to believe in the good in people. You want to give everyone the benefit of the doubt, but you can't because of what you know. You're also afraid of getting hurt."

Jane looked down. Maura knew her better than one, but Maura didn't judge her. She just loved her for some unknown reason. Because, God knows, she didn't deserve Maura. She never had, but for some reason Maura loved her. And now, she was going to do everything in her power to make sure she kept Maura happy and in love with her. When she looked up, she reached out for Maura. Maura moved closer and let herself be embraced.

"Let's go home," Maura told her as she reached around herself to take one of Jane's hands in her own.

She reached out and turned off the lights to her office and shut the door with her right hand. Jane led them to the elevators and pushed the button. They stood there silently as they waited on the car. They were quiet on the ride to the parking garage. They walked in silence to Jane's SUV and quietly climbed in. They didn't speak on the way back to the house. There was nothing that they needed to say. Holding hands and letting their love flow between them was enough in those moments. Jane didn't want to spoil it with her random thoughts, and Maura honestly didn't know what to say. When they arrived at the house, Jane parked in the garage and quickly got out of the SUV. Maura sat for a minute, but eventually got out. She immediately took Jane's hand and they entered the house together. Both plastering a fake, large smile on their faces, to hide the case crap for their family, as they entered the kitchen.

"Janie!" Angelia yelled as they came in the back door, "I was beginning to think that y'all weren't going to make it. You're just in time. The sauce just finished. Go ahead and go get cleaned up and get a drink. Tommy and Mike already set the table. Go on."

Jane smiled at her mother. Maura did as she was asked, smiling at Angela's antics. She loved the Rizzoli matriarch. She kept everyone loved and together. She was the glue that held them together and Jane was following in her footsteps. She could see it in Jane's eyes. She'd been trying so hard that she didn't realize how much she'd made up with her family. They realized how much they needed her in their lives and she realized how much she needed them as well.

Ron gathered Tommy, TJ, Frankie and Nina for the living room. Maura was helping Angela get things to the table. Jane went to get Mike and MJ. She couldn't help but smile at the small tike. He was such a Rizzoli, it wasn't funny.

"What's wrong?" Mike asked her as Jane picked up MJ.

"He looks like Pop," Jane said.

"He does?"

"Yeah, he is definitely a Rizzoli. He isn't going to be able to deny us when he gets older. I just didn't think he would favor us so much, you know?"

Maura must have heard her talking to Mike, because she joined in their conversation stating, "I don't know why because you all look alike."

"We do?"

"Well, you and Frankie favor each other greatly. Tommy does, too, but he has more of your mother in him. It is why his eyes are lighter. Mike favors you and Frankie except for her eyes. If I didn't know that Wiebke was her mother, I would think that she was Angela's. Your father seemed to have very strong genes. Genes in which MJ has as well," Maura replied.

"Except that MJ isn't mine," Mike replied.

"He is your son, is he not?" Maura asked her.

"He is mine legally, yes, but he doesn't have any Rizzoli genes. He is all Baumhardt. He's Ana's all the way."

"Really?" Jane asked.

"Well, then, I don't know what to say," Maura replied.

"Yeah, Ana carried him. We picked a sperm donor that looked like me, but he isn't biologically mine. But, trust me that you aren't the first ones to tell me that he is a Rizzoli through and through. I have to keep from laughing, but I know that Ana is smiling down on him every time."

"Why is that?" Jane questioned.

"Because she wanted him to look like me and not her," Mike said with a smile as she remembered the conversation that she had with Ana-Maria about it.

"She sounds like she was a lovely woman," Maura replied.

"She was. You remind me a lot of her. Thank you for inviting me here, Maura, and allowing me in your home. It means a lot to me...to us," Mike told her.

"Come on, before dinner gets cold," Maura tells them as she heads for the table without them.

Mike reached out and stops Jane. The two face each other. They see Maura with MJ and TJ, both smiling. Jane looks into Mike's bright blue eyes.

"What?"

"Do let that go, Jane," she told her.

"I am not planning on it."

"Good. She's good for you. Seeing you two together reminds me of Ana. I'm glad that you are working through things...together."

"Me, too, Mike. Me, too."

"Jane..."

"Yeah?"

"Thank you for not giving up on me as a sister, too."

"What?" Jane inquired.

"You could have just written me off. You could have just left me alone, but you didn't. You fought with me to make me a part of this family. You gave me something that I didn't have. You gave siblings. You gave me a mother, again. You gave my son his cousins. I can never thank you enough for that. I am actually proud to be a Rizzoli now," Mike told her.

Jane couldn't help but smile and then laugh. She hugged Mike fiercely. Leading them to the table, she leaned over and whispered into Mike's ear.

"Be careful what you wish for with my mother."

"What?" Mike asked her as they sat down.

"I am happy that everyone was able to come together tonight to eat. I hope that this is the first of many family dinners together. And, don't worry, Mike. You are a Rizzoli no matter who your mother is. So, you will always be welcome at my table," Angela told her.

"Now, let's eat!" Tommy yelled as he reached across the table to get some food.

"Thomas Giovanni Rizzoli!" Angela shouted as Tommy pulled his hand back from the basket of bread.

"Whoa," Mike said as she leaned back and watched the family dynamics in front of her.

"Don't worry. She can get louder. Trust me on that one, sis," Jane told her as she handed her a dish of food to get a serving from.

"I don't doubt that," Mike replied with a chuckle.

Angela berated all of her children for their table manners in one breath and praised Maura and Ron in the next. Her voice oscillated in strength and volume. Mike just tipped her beer to Jane and smiled. She had a family again and a sister to share it with. She didn't care. They could get louder. Mike and Jane loved them all for it.


	13. You're Mine

**You're Mine**

Time was a great equalizer. It gave and it took away. It didn't care that plans were made. Time didn't change for anyone. It just kept marching on. And, Jane knew that she had to do that as well.

She looked at the calendar on her desk. It was the one that Jane had given her for Christmas. Of course it was a Red Sox desk calendar. She looked around her desk. It was nearing Christmas again and things looked jolly around the bull pen at the FBI building in Chelsea.

Things were great. Jane was back in Boston. She was still living in the guest house at Maura's, but she wasn't at the same time. She stayed in the house with Maura more often than not. They were finally almost to where they were before Jane ever thought about working for the FBI. She was happy. Things were going the way that she wanted them to go. Maura was happy again. Time had given them the chance to make up and be stronger...together.

She looked back at the calendar. It was the twenty-second. She had to leave the office early to get to the jeweler. It had taken her months to find the perfect ring and even then she had it custom made. It was ready for pick up. She'd gotten the email earlier that morning. She couldn't help the smile that came over her face and it had stayed for the rest of the day.

She pulled up the confirmation emails for the tickets to the opera. It was one of Maura's favorites. She'd heard Maura talking about it a few weeks before when she finally got the ring in production. La Traviata was playing that night and she had box seats for them. Dinner would be light before with a dessert stop after, if Maura wanted at a little ice cream and pastry shop. It was owned by a old friend who was willing to be open late for Jane. Sometime between intermission and dessert, Jane would ask Maura for her hand. She had it all planned in her mind. Now, she just needed to execute it.

She grabbed her stuff and headed for the elevator. She was thankful for the quiet day and no really big open cases. She had the time that she wanted right now. She knew that it wouldn't always been the case. Neither she nor Maura had an honestly quiet day with their jobs and responsibilities, but she was grateful that they could spend the night together without being on call for once. It had taken time, but she managed to get everything she wanted for the night.

Her phone rang as made her way through the parking garage her cell phone rang. It was the car service that she'd rented for the night. They were confirming the pick up at Maura's house with the limo at 5:30. Everything was falling into place. Now, all she had to do was get to the house and make sure that Maura was getting ready.

The drive was uneventful, thankfully and she made it from Chelsea to Beacon Hill in record time after her stop at the jeweler's. The ring was burning a hole in her pocket. She wanted to just go in and give it to her, but she held back. Instead, she went into the main house and checked on Maura.

She was dressed in an elegant emerald green gown. It had an over skirt that was built in to give it a nice train effect. The sweetheart neckline and the embellished lace on the sheath drew Jane's into Maura's gorgeous body. The color made her hazel eyes look more green than ever. She was stunning.

"Jane?"

"Sorry, did you say something?"

"I asked if you were going to wear a suit or a dress tonight?" Maura asked her.

She smiled. Maura still didn't know where they were going, but she was willing to play along with Jane's need for a "formal date" night. She'd spied Maura's dress earlier in the week and had called Maura's tailor to get an appropriate jacket to go with her Gucci tux that Maura just had to buy her a few years ago for some gallery opening or something. It still fit and she looked good in it. She'd picked up the matching emerald green vest the other day.

"Let me surprise you," Jane told her.

"You already are, Jane."

"I'll be back shortly. Will you be ready in thirty minutes? Or, should I go slow?" Jane questioned.

"I'll be ready."

Jane gave her a quick kiss on her shoulder and hoped that it conveyed things to come between before she left Maura's room. She practically ran to the guest house and changed. She was in her tux with her heels in no time. She grabbed her long, black, dress P-coat and walked back over to the main house.

Maura was already downstairs waiting for her. A wrap thrown over the back of the couch. Her clutch on the table by the door. Her hair was perfect and she turned around just in time for Jane to see the dress on her completely. She crossed the room elegantly and reached out to close Jane's mouth.

"Jane, dear, you act like you've never seen me in a gown before," Maura quipped.

Jane just smiled. She reached for the wrap and held it out for Maura. Once she was bundled up, Jane offered Maura her arm. She stopped by the table for Maura to grab her clutch. Jane opened the door and just as planned, the limo was waiting for them.

The limo took them to Teatro. Jane was glad that she made reservations weeks ago for the night. The place was packed, but their meal was excellent. Jane quickly paid the bill and escorted Maura back outside for the quick drive to the Opera House. She knew that it was within walking distance, but she didn't want Maura getting cold in the Winter air.

She loved the look on Maura's face when the limo pulled up in front of the Boston Opera House, minutes later. She turned to give Jane an excited look. She reached over and took Jane's hands in her own.

"You got us tickets to see 'La Traviata'?"

"Yes."

"Thank you," Maura said.

Jane exited the limo and took her hand to help her out. They walked in to the opera house arm in arm. Jane gave an usher the tickets and they were escorted to their box for the evening. Maura eyes were wide. She knew that the tickets must have cost Jane a good amount. She wouldn't ask her, but she had a guess what it was. She was happy to be at the opera. She didn't need the box seats, but she was glad that Jane had gone all out for this date. She was both amazed and happy. She planned on rewarding Jane appropriately later for it.

Jane was amazed at the seats she'd managed to score. Sure, she'd called Constance to help her get the seats, but it was still amazing how close they were to the stage. They were perfect. She also knew that Maura liked them as well.

Once they were seated, Jane's hand found it's way into her pocket. She was checking on the ring in her pocket. The little box holding it was driving her nuts because she just wanted to pluck it out and hand it to Maura. She wanted to wait though. She wanted to find the perfect moment to do it.

She thought about doing it at dinner, but it just seemed too cliche. She thought about giving it to her in the limo, but that just seemed too cheesy. She needed something more. She thought about doing it during the intermission in the opera, but she knew that others would want to come by and say hello to the illustrious Maura. She wanted it to be a moment between them. She honestly didn't want to share it.

After the second act of the opera started, Jane was fingering the ring in her pocket. She'd pulled it out during the intermission and just looked at it. She held it and it made her smile. She wanted Maura to marry her. She wanted Maura, good, bad and indifferent, in sickness and in health, forever. There was a moment during the opera that she thought about just taking Maura's hand and slipping the ring upon her finger. She didn't though because she was too mesmerized by the look in Maura's eyes. The more she watched Maura, the more she lost herself in Maura. She really was Maura's. She couldn't see herself without her and she couldn't see herself with someone else. She'd been a fool. It had taken her too long to admit it and she almost lost Maura.

A smile crept across her face as Maura turned back to look at her during the final scenes. She hadn't noticed that Jane hadn't been pay attention to the opera at all. She saw the love that Jane had for her in those fathomless, dark coffee eyes, and she lost herself in them. Her smile grew bigger as she moved closer to Jane and took her hand. She leaned over and gave Jane a chaste kiss. When she broke the kiss, Jane kept her close and just stared into her eyes.

"I love you," Maura told her.

"I love you, too. So much, Maur. I can't believe that I let myself almost let you go."

"But, you didn't. You came back. And, you've promised to talk to me this time."

"I always will. I love you too much to let you go. I can't see my life without you in it. I see us growing old together."

"You do?"

"Yes, Maura. I've dreamt of being by your side so often, that I don't know what it reality and what isn't. I am thankful that God brought you into my life. You helped bring me back from the brink so many times. You made me live when I didn't want. You made me learn to fight for things that I want and love. You gave me your passion and your love. And, I am so grateful for it. I hope that I can give you the same," Jane told her.

"You do, Jane. You do everyday. I fell in love with you again. I know that things haven't been perfect, but we've for us together and that has made me happy."

"I am glad, because I want you to know that I will fight for you always," Jane said.

She toyed with the ring again. A smile bloomed as she decided that it was the right moment, then and there, in that box, together. They weren't exactly alone, but they were at the same time, in the darkness of the opera house in their box with no one else.

Jane slipped her hand around Maura's left hand into her right as her left hand went into her tux jacket pocket. Maura regarded her curiously. There was a break in the music as the scene changed. Jane still holding her left hand, slid off her chair. She didn't care in that moment if anyone saw her. She dropped to her right knee as she held Maura's hand. She pulled the ring out of her pocket and let the small amount of light catch it. Maura gasped as she realized what Jane was doing.

"Maura Dorathea Isles, will you be my wife?" she asked as she slide the custom ring onto her finger.

Maura studied the ring. It was special cut diamond surrounded with sapphires and emeralds. The ring was platinum. The ring over all looked like a square. There was a round solitaire in the middle. There were triangular sapphires surrounding it. Post like diamonds formed the corners as emeralds finished out the square. The band also had alternating sapphires, emeralds and diamonds in it. It was a magnificent ring and it likely cost a fortune. She knew that it had been a lot just by the sheer size of it. She wasn't going to dare to ask Jane how she offered it. She just kept looking at it on her finger.

"Maura?" Jane whispered in question as she saw her lover fixated on the ring on her finger.

"Yes."

"Yes?"

"Yes, I'll marry you."

"You will?"

"Yes, Jane, I will."

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"Yeah, that's..."

"Take me home, Jane," Maura demanded.

"But, the opera..."

"What about it?"

"It isn't over," Jane replied.

"So, I don't care."

"I have plans for dessert," Jane added.

"I do, too. Take me home, Jane. Take me home and I'll give you your dessert," Maura told her.

Jane didn't need to be told twice. She pulled out her cell and called the limo as she and Maura made their way out of the box and back down to the lobby of the opera house. On their way, they were stopped a few times by some other patrons who were taking bathroom breaks. Maura kept the ring tucked into Jane's arm. She didn't want to delay their departure by explaining their sudden exit completely. Everyone who stopped them knew that they were both in law enforcement and just assumed that they were called out of the opera. By the time that they finally made it out, the limo was waiting.

Maura pushed Jane up against it. She kissed her fiercely as she pushed her into the limo. Maura reached around a very stunned Jane.

"Take me home, Jane," she demanded again as she got into the limo.

"As you wish, my love," Jane replied as she leaned forward to the driver to take them back to Maura's house in Beacon Hill.

Jane sat back into the seat. Maura curled up next to her. Jane wrapped an arm around her protectively and possessively.

"I love you," Jane told her.

"And, now, you're mine," Maura replied.

"You're mine, too."

"I love you, Jane," she murmured and leaned into Jane, kissing her. "Mine. All mine and I'm never letting you go again."

"Good," Jane said as she returned and then deepened Maura's kiss.

Neither of them were paying attention to the driver or the scenery as they made their way home. All they could see was each other. It had been a long road but they still came together. Time and distance was going to keep them apart. They were willing to fight for each other and they had.

"Mine," Jane as kissed her again.

"Mine," Maura replied.


	14. Hey You

**Hey You**

Maura took her by the hand as soon as they entered the house. The look in her eyes told Jane everything that she needed to know. She hadn't even had time to thank the driver as Maura had pulled her up the walk. But, she figured that his knowing look as he drove away meant that she was forgiven.

Maura didn't let her go until they got into her bedroom. _Their bedroom,_ Maura thought as she pushed her up against the door. Her hands were immediately inside the tux jacket, pushing it back and away from Jane's body. Her hands, warm and tender, held Jane there. She wasn't forceful, but it was deliberate and Jane understood what she was saying without any words. Her fingers skimmed across the deep emerald vest until she got to the buttons. Deftly she undid them and parted the vest as well. The warmth of her hands burned Jane through the very thin tux shirt. She slid her fingers up and started to undo the pearlescent buttons, one by agonizing one.

"Maura..."

"No, Jane, I want my dessert. You promised me dessert and I plan on enjoying it. Or, are you going to deny me?" Maura asked her.

"Never..."

"Good," Maura answered as she returned to undoing the buttons of her shirt.

Jane just leaned back into the door and allowed Maura to continue having her dessert. Once the shirt was undone, she reached her hands inside until she hit Jane's burning skin. Her fingers caressed the olive skin beneath them as she slowly worked them up and over Jane's shoulder. She effectively pushed everything off Jane's body and into the door. She pulled Jane away just enough to hear the fabric hit to floor behind them. Maura's hands came back around to her front as she moved them up towards Jane's breasts. Maura had never been more thankful for Jane wearing a front clasp bra in her life. She deftly removed it and then let her hands wander over Jane's skin. She reveled in the warmth, the raising goose bumps, and the sighs that Jane kept releasing.

When it wasn't enough anymore, Maura ran her hand down Jane's toned abs and to the pants she was wearing. Undoing the button and the zipper as slowly as she dared, Maura pushed her body back into Jane's, pinning her back into the door. Dark and blown hazel eyes met Jane's dark chocolate eyes. There was nothing but love showing in them both. Jane's smile spurred Maura onward in her dessert pursuit.

Maura gave her an absolutely feral smile. Jane looked surprised, but she didn't try to move away from her. Maura however pulled Jane away from the door. She pushed her across the room, forcefully, and down onto the bed. As soon as Jane's ass hit the mattress, Maura was on her. Grabbing her heels, Maura removed her shoes and tossed them across the room. Jane knew that she was lost to her lover when she got like this. Maura's OCD and need for cleanliness had gone out the window. She wanted Jane and she wanted Jane now. There was nothing going to stop her and Jane smiled at the thought of Maura topping her so completely. The smile grew as Maura reached down and almost tore the tux pants from her body.

Now dressed only in her lacy, black thong, Jane looked up at Maura. Their eyes met and held for a few precious seconds. But, they both knew that Maura wasn't done. She wanted Jane and she was going to have her. Unfortunately, that beautiful emerald dress was in the way. Somehow, much to Jane's dismay, Maura managed to unzip it. Jane's eyes followed that dress down as it revealed more and more of Maura's beautiful Irish skin. She leaned up onto her elbows. She knew better than to get up when Maura was like this. Besides, she loved it. She liked giving Maura whatever she wanted and she liked it when Maura took her love from her. She just surrendered to the feeling as the honey blonde came back to the bed. It was then that Jane saw what she was wearing.

The emerald green, satin and lace, strapless bra held Maura's beautiful breasts out of her sight. Jane's eyes danced around it though. Her mouth slacked as soon as she saw the matching satin and lace thong, surrounded by a garter belt. She managed to close her mouth long enough to look up at Maura's smile and dancing eyes. She would give this woman anything she asked for and she knew that Maura knew it.

"Like what you see, agent?" Maura asked as she knelt between Jane's legs with one knee as she started to mount the bed.

"I do."

"Good," Maura answered as she moved up Jane's body.

Maura didn't let her touch her. As soon as Jane tried, she grabbed Jane's wrists and held them above her head. The silent conversation between their mutually blown eyes told Jane all she needed to know. Maura wanted her dessert and Jane was her dessert. Who was she to deny Maura? Maura's quick smile helped her relax as she prepared her body to be taken to the brink over and over again before she knew that Maura would let her have her climax. She settled deeper into the bed as Maura's mouth found its way to the sensitive spot just below Jane's ear.

Maura kissed and licked around Jane's ears, knowing that they were sensitive and one of Jane's "hidden" zones. When she wanted more, she simply took her earlobe into her mouth and lightly bit it. Jane's quick moan was drawn out as Maura continued to the tease the lobe with her teeth and tongue. Jane was doing her best to keep still and allow Maura her delight. Her hands were itching and for once it wasn't from the scars that Hoyt had given her. Maura must have known how bad Jane wanted to touch because she kept moving. Using her body to hold Jane's down, she kissed her way from ear to ear, jaw to mouth to jaw, and started down the long column of Jane's lovely throat. She had to keep from laughing as Jane's moans turned deeper and longer with each bit of teasing that she was given her.

While her mouth was occupied, Maura's hands found their own toys to play with. Massaging and pulling at Jane's nipples and breasts, she continued to drive her higher. She never once broke her contact. She didn't give her a break. She just kept pushing and pushing toward her goal. Jane was beginning to wonder if Maura wanted her to cum before she even touched her more intimately. It wasn't that she didn't want to come from Maura's nipple play. Hell, she did. She wanted her release so bad that she didn't think that she'd be able to stop herself from cumming. She just wasn't sure that she'd be able to survive whatever Maura was going to do her, but she was willing to take it all.

 _What a way to go, though,_ Jane thought to herself as Maura's hands moved down her sides finally. Her body was thrumming. Her clit was hard and pulsing. All of her blood and moister had moved south in preparation. Her hips were bouncing on the bed and only being held down by Maura's. Jane could have easily flipped them and her way with Maura by now, but she wanted to see how far Maura was going to take this.

Jane had gotten over her shyness in bed. Hell, she initiated more than Maura did, now. But, Maura never denied her. She just met all of Jane's advances with a smile and perfect body.

She had been so lost in her thoughts that she hadn't really been paying attention to Maura's hands. How could she when Maura's mouth was doing such wonderful things to her breasts? She knew as soon as Maura's wonderful and precise fingers hit her clit. Slowly circles and light taps were driving her mad with need.

"God...yessss," she hissed.

"My name is Maura, Jane," Maura teased her as her fingers continued to tease Jane.

Her mouth smiled around a very hard nipple. Her eyes flicked up to see Jane's. She broke contact with the breast and kissed between them. Her hands now, holding Jane's hip still as she kissed her way down her body. She met the maintained landscape of Jane's want and blew a breath against her. Jane writhed in pleasure. Her hips pulling and pushing against Maura's hands, weight, and the bed. She needed relief. She needed Maura.

"Maur...please...need..."

"I know what you need, Jane. Trust me. I do," Maura told her as she blew against her center again.

Jane's hip jerked up and away from Maura. Her fingers dug into Jane's hips as she brought them back down and towards her waiting mouth. Her tongue took a long and languid swipe through her drenched folds. Jane's fingers dug into the pillow underneath her head. Hoping that by doing so, Maura would give her the relief she so desired. She swore that she was about to rip the pillow open as soon as she felt soft lips upon her clit. A tap, tap, tap against her and Jane screamed out Maura's name so loud that everyone in Beacon Hill knew who was pleasuring her. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head as stars formed in front of them. She hadn't come that hard in months, if ever, and she knew that Maura was the only one who could ever drive her to such. But, Maura wasn't done.

She waited for Jane's hip to still just a little before her hands made their way to Jane's folds. Two fingers explored her, rounded her clit, gathering her essence before diving deep into her. Jane's hips jumped again. This time, Maura moved back up her body, kissing as she went. Her fingers pumping a rhythm only she knew as she drove Jane towards another orgasm.

Maura just watched Jane's face. She moved her fingers as she turned her hand over to get a better angle. In doing so, she found the one spot that would make Jane scream again in ecstasy. Her dark green eyes saw exactly what she was looking for as she let the palm of her hand rub against Jane's clit. Moving her knee behind her hand, she rocked more and harder into Jane's body. On every down stroke, she made sure to scissor her fingers across Jane's G-spot. On every up stroke, she thrust her weight behind her knee to get as deep as she could. With each movement she was rewarded with a gasp, sigh, moan or whimper as Jane neared oblivion again through her ministrations.

"Maur..."

"Yes, Jane?"

"Is ... this ... my ... dessert ... or ... yours?" Jane asked her in panted breaths.

"Definitely mine, dear."

Jane groaned and Maura knew that she had been riding the brink for so long looking for her second orgasm that it was starting to get a little painful for her. Not wanting to deny Jane any longer, Maura leaned forward with her fingers still rocketing in and out as she took her clit in her mouth. A gentle swirl of her tongue and a light nip for her teeth and lips sent Jane flying.

"MAURA!" she yelled out.

Maura lifted her head and watched the veins in Jane's neck popping. She couldn't help the smile that graced her face as she crawled up Jane's spent body, slowly. When their eyes met, Jane's were clearer than they had been in months. She just looked so damn happy that Maura couldn't help herself. She leaned down and kissed her chastely against the mouth.

"Hey, you," Jane murmured.

"Hello, yourself," Maura replied.

"Was your dessert good?"

"It was."

"Good," Jane said with a smirk on her face, but lost it as soon as she saw the frown on Maura's face. "What's wrong?"

"Jane, you haven't had dessert yet."

"You sure about that?" Jane asked her.

"Yes, I am," Maura said as she raised up onto her knees.

She looked into Jane's eyes. Jane could see all the love that Maura had for her shining through. Maura tore her thong from her body as Jane gasped.

"Maura?"

"I can buy more."

"I...I know you can, but..."

"You need your dessert, Jane," she told her simply.

Maura moved slightly moving her weight from side to side as she studied Jane. Finally, she moved her body up onto Jane's stomach. She rubbed herself back and forth, painting her desire across Jane's abs.

"Oh, Maur..."

"Patience, Jane, your dessert is on the way," Maura told her as she continued up Jane's body.

Finally, she was kneeling around Jane's head. She tilted her head down and looked down into the fathomless depths of Jane's chocolate eyes. She raised herself up and over Jane's mouth. She gave her a quirky of a smile and a cock of an eyebrow. Jane realized that she had been released from her self-imposed confines of under the pillow. She grabbed Maura by the waist and pulled her more fully down towards her mouth.

"My queen..." she mumbled as she took Maura's core into her mouth.

She allowed her tongue to dance around Maura's body. Tasting, sucking, and nibbling, she enjoyed everything that Maura had to give her. She couldn't believe that Maura was as ready as she was, but it didn't stop her from taking her time. She didn't rush. She was enjoying her time and the taste of Maura on her tongue. She would have laughed when she watched Maura lean forward and grabbed the headboard to keep from falling into the wall or backwards and away from Jane's talented mouth. She started to rock with the tempo that Jane was setting both with her hands and tongue. Crying out every time that Jane swiped her tongue against her clit, Maura rode the waves of pleasure that Jane was creating.

"Jane..."

"Yes?"

"More," Maura begged.

Jane reached around Maura's hip until her fingers could touch her mound. Still holding her and guiding her higher, Jane moved back just enough to allow her fingers better access. She dove her tongue inside her and lapped at Maura. Her fingers tapped and circled her clit. Maura finally fell over, cumming harder than she thought she would and accentuated it with a shout of Jane's name.

She collaspsed on Jane. Falling back to Earth, she moved just enough to lay beside Jane. A smile gracing her lips as she did. Jane kissed her sweetly, letting her regain her breath. She reached down and pulled the covers up over them both, basking in the fact that she was holding her fiance while they went to sleep.

"Jane?"

"Hmm?"

"Thanks for dessert."

"You're welcome," Jane replied.

"Jane?"

"Hmm?"

"I love you."

"I love you, too, Maur," Jane stated.

"You're my fiancee," Maura replied.

"I know."

"We're getting married."

"I know," Jane said as she leaned down and kissed Maura, hoping it would be senseless enough for them to sleep.

"Well, hello," Maura replied instead.

"Hey, you," Jane answered.

"Love you."

"Love you, too."

"I want more dessert," Maura told her.

"Then, by all means, have more," Jane told her as she laid back with a slight chuckle for Maura to take her again.


	15. Getaway Car

**Getaway Car**

Jane sat in her Boston office and looked out at the city from the Federal Building. She sipped her coffee as she looked at the familiar skyline. Everything was just starting to feel right again. She was home. She'd made up with Maura. They were getting married. She had a stupid smile on her face and she couldn't help. She didn't want to help it. She was happy. Things were starting to look up again.

"Hey, Rizzoli!"

"What you got, Huff?"

"Looks like another bank robbery. This one had a homicide. Your brother's on scene," he told her.

"Let's go," she told him as she grabbed her jacket and Glock.

They were downtown at the site in a few minutes. Today, the robbers they were tracking hit the MANG Credit Union. Frankie was already outside and he was pacing. He knew that the FBI didn't want deal with the dead body. They were more worried about the robbery and he was glad that it was Jane that was coming to the scene.

"Heya, Sis," Frankie said as she walked up.

"Whatcha got?" she asked.

"They cut the camera lines from inside. One of the tellers hit the silent alarm. It went off for approximately two minutes before the alarm line was cut. Since the alarm company had no contact with the bank, they dispatched us immediately. With no cameras, we didn't know what we were getting into. They were gone before we got here, but not before the security guard was shot," Frankie told her.

"Tried to stop them and play hero?"

"Not from what it looks like. He was shot in the leg, low, non-fatal, but it looks like he had a heart attack. Maura's with the body now," he replied.

"I won't know if it was a heart attack until I open him up, Frank. Let me find out what really killed him and then will know if you can add homicide to the list of charges for the crew. By the way, I believe that you are looking for a crew of three to four. Any more and they wouldn't have been able to get out quick enough. Plus, I over heard some of the patrons talking."

"Well, let's get them separated and start doing interviews. The more they talk together, the more the stories change. Come on, Frankie, get moving on that. We'll call in our techs to look at the cameras and stuff. We're just going to help. We're not going to take your thunder."

"If anyone did, I'd let you, Jane. But only you, no one else. Don't let the others think that just because you are my sister that they can come in here and steam roll me and take my cases. I'm just like you, Jane. I hate people stepping over my cases."

"No one is stepping over your case, Frankie. The homicide, if it is one, is yours. We're just here for the robbery. And, the only reason we're taking it and not the Staties is because it isn't just Boston this crew is hitting. They've crossed state lines. We're working with your vice department and the investigative services with the State Police. I know where I stand, Frankie. You worry about your stuff and I'll worry about mine, okay?"

"Good," he told her as he went back into the bank to see what other evidence he could gather.

"Huff, we got people on in the inside already?"

"Yeah, I sent Ayers and Watanabe."

"Good."

"Agent Rizzoli?" a tech asked.

"Yeah?" Jane answered as she turned around to see one of Maura's new interns.

"Dr. Isles said you might want this," the tech answered as he handed her a flash drive. "She said it was on the body of the guard. He was clutching it pretty hard. She didn't know if you wanted to review it first or not."

"Tell her thank you. We'll send over whatever we find and I mean everything. She'll have access to it by this afternoon. I'll email her the links and notes. Thanks," Jane told the tech.

"What is that?"

"A flash drive from the guard. We got a laptop near by? Something I can watch this on?"

"Yeah, over in the CSU van," Huff replied.

"Okay, cool. Let's go check on this. It might be nothing. With everyone in there, we can compare notes later. Watanabe and Ayers will deal with everything until we go inside, too."

"Sounds good."

Jane was glad that she was given seniority over a small team of agents in Boston. She was used to calling the shots on scenes, even when Vince outranked her, but this made it easier for her with the other agents. They trusted her because they knew about her records in Boston's vice and homicide units. Her reputation preceded her.

They approached the van. She signed in and pulled out one of the field laptops. She plugged the flash drive in and started looking over the files. There didn't seem to be anything of importance on it. It was just some basic files. There were schedules for the security guards. There was a list of the armored car personnel that would show up for cash drops. It all seemed like things that he should have. But, the last file was strange.

"Why would he have a car profile on here?" Jane asked aloud.

She pulled up the file. There was a lot of information about a particular car. It seemed that this car spooked the guard for some reason. He had been watching for it. He even put a schedule down of dates and times that it was at the bank. He'd been logging them in on a personal device near his desk at the entrance.

"I think the gang was casing the joint," Jane said.

"What do you mean?"

"The guard was spooked by a car. Probably reported it and nothing came back on it from the BPD. We need to find this car and rule it out."

"What times was it here?"

"Thursdays...always Thursdays, between three and six pm."

"They knew the drop off schedule," Huff said as he was reviewing something on his tablet.

"So, our crew watches the banks for weeks, but they are smart enough not to stand out. I wonder what it was about them that stood out to the guard. Did he know someone? Or was it always someone different in the same car? What was it that tipped you off?"

"Let's find the car," Huff said as they jumped out of the car.

They walked up to the bank. Jane still had the flash drive in her hand. She made a bee line for the Frankie and for lieutenant in charge of the State Police. She found them both in the center of the branches lobby. Frankie seemed to be just nodding along with the other officer. Jane approached them slowly, but then she saw the same tech that met her outside.

"Hey!" she called out to him.

He stood up, pointed at himself and Jane nodded. He handed whatever he was working on to another tech and walked over to Jane. The yelling and his subsequent movement caught Frankie's eye. He turned to watch them, too, which alerted the Statie that he was no longer concerned with what they were saying.

"What's your name, kid?" Jane asked him.

"Senior Criminalist Sean O'Reilly," he answered.

"O'Reilly, huh?" she replied with a quirk of her eyebrow.

"Yeah," he stated with a turn of his head.

"Don't worry about it, kid. I need you to bag this and tag it. Put in the logs that the FBI looked at, too. Make sure that you notate that Agents Rizzoli and Huffstadter reviewed it at the scene before turning it back over. We need to maintain the chain of evidence. Got it?"

"Yes, Agent Rizzoli."

"Good job, kid. And, don't let, Maur...Dr. Isles push you to hard. But, you're learning from the best so soak it up all, Kid, and you'll go far. Got it."

"Yeah, I got. Thanks, Agent Rizzoli. I'll take care of it."

"Make sure that you do. I'll need that file again later. Now, go bag it and finish whatever Maura has you working on," she said dismissing him.

"What was that, Jane?" Frankie asked as he'd finally made his way back over to his sister.

"It seems that Maura found a flash drive in guard's hand. He was watching a car. Don't know why, we'll check the tapes for the dates and times that he took down on the camera system. But, it did give a possible clue into the gang that is doing these robberies," Jane told them.

"Yeah?"

"We need a city, state, and federal BOLO put out."

"On what grounds?" the State Police lieutenant asked as they joined the conversation.

"Agent Jane Rizzoli, FBI, and you are?" Jane said instead of answering their question.

"Detective Lieutenant Aeron Davin, Troop H, Investigations Unit," she replied extended her hand out to Jane.

Jane cocked her eyebrow but shook the other woman's hand. She gave her a trademark Rizzoli smile before dropping her hand and turning back to Frankie. Too many years of Staties trying to take over her investigations gave her bad blood with them all. She knew that she should give her the benefit of the doubt, but her gut told her "no."

"Frankie, BOLO?"

"I'm on it, Jane. Whatcha got for me? I need to tell dispatch ASAP."

"It looks like the guard was watching a green four door sedan. He wrote it down as a Ford Taurus SHO. Meaning we got some years to cover. Only got a partial license plate though."

"What's that?" Davin asked them as she pulled out her phone.

"Six Alpha Sierra Seven."

"That's all?" Davin questioned.

"Yeah, it was only a partial that the guard could get. Four out of six is a good start and knowing the make of the vehicle should get us a hit quickly, right? Can you see what Nina can find, Frankie and let us know what you find out. Is that okay, Lieutenant?" Jane inquired giving her a look.

Davin just shook her head. Jane and Frankie just walked away. They were brainstorming. Frankie was running ideas against Jane and she couldn't help but smile. She knew that he was coming into his own, but it was nice to go over the case like this again. Even if she didn't get to work the homicide, it was still fun to work with him again. She knew that it would never be the same.

She waved off Frankie as he and his partner kept looking over the scene to see what else they could come with for the suspected homicide. She went back outside to the CSU van. She looked at Huff and knew that he'd gotten into the video surveillance. She wanted to check in with him and see if he saw the car on the dates that the guard had. She knew that they would review their notes. She couldn't wait to get back to the office and see what Wantanabe and Ayers got from their interviews. She knew that they were working with the Staties.

"Better them than me," Jane muttered as she climbed back into the CSU van.

"Glad you came back. Looks like our guard was on to something. I found the car at each time that he recorded it. There were other times, but it looks like he wasn't on duty. Still can't pull a full license on it. These guys are good."

"Yeah, looks like they've been this for awhile. Do we have a number on them? Details or anything like that?" Jane asked him.

"Already sending it to a Nina Rizzoli at the BPD BRIC," Huff told her.

"Good. Any hits back?"

Just then, Frankie beat on the back of the van. Jane opened the back and looked down at her little brother. She gave him a questioning look.

"Got the car."

"Dumped?" she asked him.

"Yep. It was just a getaway car," Frankie told her. "I already sent the criminalists over. You wanna go check it out?"

"Hell ya. You coming Huff? Or, you gonna keep watching?"

"I'll keep watching. Meet back up at the office before five thirty. Go over notes tonight?" Huff questioned.

"Yeah, I'll call you."

"What is it with you a getaway cars?" Frankie said as they headed for his unit.

"Just helps me know what the perps are thinking."

"And, with this one?"

"Late model car, easily dumped and found. Didn't care if they were seen in it. Not really descript. Can get in and out of the city or area without too much trouble. Blends in with the normal fare of the area. They've researched their hits before they stake it out. These guys are planners. But, everyone makes mistakes. I want to see what theirs is and I think the car is the only member of that heist team that will tell us," Jane explained.

"Well, let's go get 'er talking," Frankie replied as they drove towards the car's dump site.


	16. Tornado

**Tornado**

Jane sat at the coffee shop down the road from the precinct. She was sipping on her black coffee and watching the precinct. She knew that Frankie would be in soon, but she really wasn't worried about him. She waiting for Maura. They had plans, but Maura called to tell her that she had another body on her slab and it would be awhile. That was hours and at least four cups of coffee ago. She could just demand to get in and go down to the morgue. She knew that the desk cop would sign her in no problem. She would just have to flash her new FBI badge. She didn't want to do that.

It wasn't that she didn't trust Maura. She did. She trusted Maura more than anyone else in the world, even after all the pain they'd caused each other. She trusted Maura the most, over her own family, too. No, this wasn't a trust issue. This was something else. This was her gut telling her something was off and she didn't know what it was. So, she was going to sit there, drink an obscene amount of coffee and watch the precinct until the feeling went away.

Her phone rang a few minutes later. She knew that it was either Huff or Watanbe. She didn't even need to look. She knew that they were still tracking the money and other leads that they had from the other bank robberies. She let it go to voicemail. If they needed her that bad, they'd call back. They did. She pulled her phone out of its clip and answered it.

"Rizzoli," she stated in a clipped tone, eyes still on the precinct.

"There's been another robbery," the caller told her.

"Another death, too?" Jane asked.

"Yeah," came the reply.

"Frankie get the call?"

"Yup."

"Where?"

"Roxbury."

"Where are Watanbe and Ayers?" Jane asked Huff.

"They are heading to town to meet with the good Lieutenant about some of the other robberies. Seems the Staties pulled surveillance from the other banks to see if there are any repeat cars like on the last one. Then, they are heading to Sudbury to see what else the Staties haven't felt like sharing," Huff told her.

She shook her head. She knew that the Staties were always a little to gung-ho and this time, it was bigger than they thought it was. She knew that the FBI would give them credit on the case, but with holding any information could be viewed as a hostile intentions. And, departments that didn't like to work with the FBI had a very hard time getting help with they needed it or the FBI would just storm in and shut them down completely. Being the lead on this case, Jane was wondering if she was about to have to flex her new "Federal" muscle around. She knew that Watanabe and Ayers would take care of her light work. That is why she loved that she had the small but deadly Asian and the former Alabama linebacker on her team. The Staties wouldn't know what hit them.

"Give me the address. I'll meet you there. Do you know if they called in Maura?"

"She should have received the call a few moments ago," Huff told her.

"Okay, the address," she stated.

He gave it to her. She plotted it quickly in her government issued GPS. While it was plotting a course to the bank in question, she dialed Maura's cell.

"I'm out front if you want a ride," Jane told her as soon as Maura answered.

"Pick me up around back. I'll be out in a few minutes. I should have known that you would have gotten the call as well."

"Yeah, well, we got to find a way to stop these guys before they leave the Boston or Massachusetts area," Jane told her.

"I have no doubt that you will, Jane. You are a master detective turned agent. Your skill is above most."

Jane finished her last cup of coffee quickly. She headed out the door and to her government issued SUV. She started and drove around to the back of the BPD precinct that had the crime lab and morgue in the basement. She pulled it and waited for Maura to come out. It was only a few minutes and then the honey-blonde was climbing up into the passenger seat next to Jane.

"Thank you for the ride," Maura stated as she got situated and buckled.

"It's no problem," Jane replied as she pulled out and headed towards Roxbury, knowing that the CSRU van was already in route because she saw it leave before Maura came out.

"Another robbery?"

"Yup."

"What's wrong?" Maura asked her.

"Nothing."

"Jane."

"What?"

"What's wrong? You have that strange pensive face you make when something is bothering you. Just tell me what it is. It will save us time and aggravation if you just tell me and we both know it."

"Nothing is wrong."

"Something is bothering you, though," Maura said with a finality.

"Fine, yes, there is."

"Well, what is it?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know?" Maura asked her.

"No, I don't."

"Is it your 'gut'?" Maura questioned.

"Yeah."

"Is it towards someone or something?"

"No."

"So, you weren't just sitting in the coffee shop across the street waiting for a call?"

"Nope."

"Jane."

"Okay, yeah, but I wasn't waiting on a call. I was waiting on you. There's a difference," Jane replied.

"Is your feeling still bothering you?" Maura inquired.

"It is, but it is quiet now that we have a case."

"Technically, you've already had this case, Jane. This is a new homicide for the BPD. The cases just happen to be related. And, I am assuming by your attitude that the State Police have been called as well," Maura stated.

"Nope, this one was in Boston. We don't need them. Instead they are handing over information and tapes that they hadn't deemed important to the investigation to the rest of my team."

"Oh, they didn't try to take your case again did they? Will they not learn that no one takes Jane's cases? Hell, the FBI learned that quickly. Why do you think that they wanted you so bad? Even Dean wanted you, but well...that was only partially because of your detective skills," Maura quipped.

"Funny, Maur. Real funny. I don't know what they are thinking, but I am sure that my dynamic duo of Watanabe and Ayers will set them right. I expect that I will have a lot tape to review. Honestly, we should have already had all the video. But, I can't make the cooperate. After this, I can force the issue, though."

"Are you going to?" Maura asked.

"Depends on what we find in their notes."

Maura just nodded as she looked at sky ahead of them. The clouds were dark and heavy. It looked very ominous.

"Jane, I usually don't advocate speeding, but you might want to use your lights. That storm doesn't look conducive to a murder investigation. Especially when the body isn't in the bank building," Maura told her.

Jane quickly glanced at Maura to see that she was serious. Then she pushed down on the pedal a little bit more before turning on her lights and siren. If they were going to run code, she was going to get there as fast she could for Maura. Pulling out her cell phone, she handed it to Maura.

"Call Huff."

"Is it under Huff or his Huffstedter?"

"Just Huff," Jane answered.

Maura dialed and the phone started ringing.

"Put it on speaker."

"Huff," he answered.

"He man, looks like a down pour coming. Get tarps set up for the body and shit. I don't want to lose anything because of the weather. And, make sure that the scene is completely sealed. I'll be there soon. Maura's team should get there ahead of us. Get them working ASAP."

"Roger that, Rizzoli," Huff answered and hung up.

"Taken care of," Jane told her as she reached out for her cell.

She clipped it back on her side and kept her eyes on the road. The clouds did look bad and she hoped that they made it before the sky opened up. She didn't like working in the rain. There was just something about being in a suit in the rain while staring at a body that never made her happy. Not that staring at bodies ever made her happy, but being uncomfortable while trying to work a case was crap. All it did was make everyone cranky and miserable.

"Thank you," Maura replied.

They continued the rest of the drive in relative silence. Mostly because Maura didn't want to distract Jane. She knew that the Agent was watching not only the road and the other drivers, but she was watching the sky. She listened to the GPS as she made her way to the bank in Roxbury. The drive which should have taken about half an hour, took only fifteen minutes.

Jane pulled through the police barricade and up to the bank. Maura was out of the vehicle and at the tent with the body quickly. Jane knew that it was the weather that was spurring her on. She knew how much Maura hated to be caught in the rain. She grabbed her coat and headed for the bank.

She met Huff just inside. She surveyed the damage and the civilians that had gotten caught inside the bank. It wasn't just a normal smash and run. They had been in the bank longer.

"What held them up?"

"The safe," Huff told her.

"How?"

"It hadn't been opened by the bank manager yet. It cost them a lot of time. So, they tried to take hostages to make sure they'd get out."

"What happened?"

"Good Samaritan on the street," Huff replied.

"The guy on the street?"

"On of the perps," Huff replied.

"Really?"

"Yup," Huff answered.

"Guess I'll go back out and talk to Maura, then," Jane said as she turned back to head towards the door. "That is, if you got this?"

"I got it, Janie. Go on. This looks to be an easy write up for us. We'll just have to wait on the evidence so we can tie them together."

"The tapes?"

"Already on it," Huff stated as he went back to investigating.

Jane just nodded as she headed back outside to see if Maura had anything for her, yet. She stopped just outside the makeshift tent that was errectted over the body. Jane grabbed some gloves and pulled back a flap to look down at the body. She saw Maura kneeling down, clipboard in hand. She was checking things off on her paperwork as she studied the body.

Instead out disturbing Maura, Jane decided to look around to see if she saw anything that would help the case. As she looked around, she noticed the darkening clouds were looking more and more ominous. She was about to say something when all the sudden the heavens open and the deluge began.

"Maur?"

"I'm almost done, Jane."

Jane looked out at the clouds again. The wind had picked up and the clouds were still dark. And, then she saw it. The funell and spinning clouds as they began to touchdown not far from where they were.

"Nope, your done," Jane told her as she grabbed her and pulling her towards the bank doors.

"Jane!" Maura screamed as she looked up and saw the weather. "Get the body in a bag and in the bank! NOW!"

Her techs moved quickly. Ditching their evidence collections, they moved the body. The CSU van was closed up and they were in the building in minutes.

"Now what?" Jane asked.

"Well, due to the structure of the building the safest place would be the vault, Jane."

"EVERYONE IN THE VAULT, NOW!" Jane yelled out as she watched police, FBI, techs and bank employees running for the vault.

"Should we close the vault?" Jane asked Maura as they all settled in.

"Only if we can get it back open from the inside," Maura stated.

Jane and the bank manager had a quick conversation. Jane waved around frantically and then nodded. She yelled for Huff.

"What's up, Janie?"

"If the door closes, we die."

"Well then we can't let the door close, but I'm guess we needed it to close somewhat."

"Well, yeah," Jane said.

"Okay, so lets put something in it to stop it."

"How are you going to stop a ten ton door?"

"Shit."

"Exactly," Jane replied.

"Is it locked in the open position?" Huff asked the bank manager.

"Yes."

"So it shouldn't move?" Jane asked him.

"No, not at all."

"Okay, so we close the gates and hope like hell that the building doesn't decide to close the door for us?" Huff questioned.

"Sounds good to me. You got the keys to the gate, right?" Jane inquired.

"Yes," the bank manager replied.

"Good, close it. Lock it and then we'll move everyone to the back of the vault."

They did as said and moved everyone to the back of the vault. The tornado moved through. They could hear the howling of the wind. Jane held Maura as she watched papers and other small items move outside the vault. After a few minutes, the winds stopped and calmed.

Jane pulled out her phone and called headquarters. The tornado had broken up and a team was on the way to help with the clean up and to salvage the case. Jane turned around and looked at Maura. She was shaking, but she was checking on the rest of the people in the vault. Jane knew that it was to keep her mind off of what happened.

"Who knew that today would be the day we would experience a tornado, Jane?" Maura asked her.

"Who knew?"

"You know that New England has the lowest rate of tornadoes in the country. Revere was the last town to have a tornado in the Boston area, but that was back in 2014. This might skew the numbers some, but I'll have to look it up when we get home."

"Maura?"

"Hmm?"

"Don't worry about the numbers, yeah? Let's focus on the case and catching these assholes that keep sending you bodies. They are a little more important than some crazy weather, okay?"

"Okay, Jane. Can I go back out?"

"There is another team on the way, but sure. Let's go see what we can salvage," she told her as she grabbed the bank manager, "You can open that now."


	17. Heavy Love

**Heavy Love**

Jane was still a little more than miffed, but she couldn't do anything about it. It didn't matter how much evidence they had, the storm had fucked up the entire crime scene. Maura was still at work trying to recover what ever she could from the body. At least now, they had a perp. Sure, he was dead, but she wasn't sure if it was friendly fire or the supposed good Samaritan. FBI techs were combing over what little bit of salvaged video they had. She wanted to scream. There was so much evidence that had been lost to the wind and rain, but at least everyone was safe.

That is what Maura kept telling herself. No one at the bank suffered any injuries as a result of the tornado. Even the body had been preserved. Quick thinking on Maura's part to bag him and bring it inside might have been the only thing that saved it. And, now she was doing everything in her power to give not only Jane but Frankie something to use in their cases. She felt lost because she'd never had a case this strange before. She was trying everything in her arsenal to find something that would give them enough of a lead to make an arrest.

She had finished her blood drawing and other bodily fluid extractions. She was waiting to hear back from O'Reilly as he ran everything. Jane was usually the impatient one on a case, but this time it was her. She didn't like the feeling. Her crime scene had been demolished by the tornado, so whatever they didn't get before Jane rounded them all up into the safe to keep them safe from the tornado's destructive power, they weren't going to get now. It would all be tainted and none of the science could be trusted. It was a defense attorney's wet dream of a case. Nature was proving to be the one factor that wasn't going to help this time. She was looking over everything that they had collected.

She left the autopsy room for the lab. She saw her team all working hard on the case. She looked over to Criminalist Luz Otero.

"Do you have anything Luz?"

"Yeah, and it's strange."

"Strange how?" Maura asked her.

"There are two slugs."

"Two?" Maura questioned as she looked at the evidence through the microscope.

"Yes, and they are two different calibers."

"Two shooters?"

"It's looking that way. One is a traditional copper jacketed bullet and the other is a full lead. There was no jacket."

"You could tell?"

"Yes, as soon as I ran the density tests. The first bullet is a Remington 45. The other is a generic 9mm, but it is the older bullet. I can't tell who manufactured it by its make. It's too generic and too old. The Remington was quickly identified by the composition."

"Good job. This might actually help us. Did the Remington match the good Samaritan's gun?"

"Yes, it did. I'll finish my report and send both to you and Agent Rizzoli. The other one I am still trying to identify the possible make of the gun that fired it. I won't be able to definitively match it until I have the gun," Luz told her. "I'm still running it through the databases to see if we get a hit, but so far nothing."

"Keep looking. If anything looks similar, pull it and run it further. I don't want anything to get past us. Everything that we can eliminate will help us, too."

"Yes, Dr. Isles," Luz replied as she went back to her searches and the microscope.

It was something. It wasn't much, but it proved what the Samaritan and the video were telling them. The man on her slab was shot as they exited the bank. But, now, Maura had to figure out if the Samaritan's shot was the fatal shot or not.

She went back into the autopsy room. She changed into her black scrubs and prepared to do the complete autopsy now. She felt a little better knowing that the body had given them something, but she still wondered if it was enough. She knew that DNA was running as well as other labs. She would have the CBC panel soon, but that would only tell her the basics about the man on her slab. She still didn't have a name and she knew that she might not until the DNA came back. It was being rushed, and all her reports were being sent to Jane and the other agents for immediate review. Jane offered to open the FBI lab up to Maura if she wished, but Maura liked doing things in house. She had more control over them there and it allowed her more assurance if she had to testify.

She lost in herself into the autopsy. She kept recording her findings from the body. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary from the man. He had been healthy and hale. Maura was just closing him up when she looked up from the body.

Jane was sitting on a table across from her. It was a scene that had played out many times before. Only this time, Jane was an agent and not a detective.

"Can I help you with something, Agent?" Maura asked with a quirky grin.

"Just thought that you'd like to know that we got a hit on guy from his fingerprints," Jane told her.

Maura stood up fully and waited. Jane just smiled at her as she propelled herself off the metal medical table she'd been sitting on. She walked over to look down at the man on Maura's slab.

"His name is Hugh Mooreland. Seems he walked out on his wife a few months ago, around the same time that the bank robberies started. She hasn't seen him since, but she has gotten some money from him. She never put it in the bank. She doesn't know why, but it didn't feel right."

"Her words?" Maura asked.

"Yup."

"Well, that might prove to be beneficial for the case."

"Yeah, well, she lives out in Naperville, Illinois, so I'm getting the field office in Chicago to look into it for us," Jane stated.

"Will you share anything that might help Frankie?"

"Of course, I will. I believe in sharing if it helps us get the perp. I want them off the streets, too. I don't really care who gets credit for the collar as long as I know that we can get a conviction."

"What is your gut telling you today?" Maura asked her.

"I think that Hugh bit off a little more than he could chew. From what we preliminarily know, he has been married for twenty years. They were high school sweethearts and got married at eighteen. They have a decent house and Hugh worked his way up to a manager at the factory that he was working at. They have a son and a daughter, both are in high school. He seems to have had the idealic life, but he just walked away," Jane told her.

"Marital bliss?"

"I guess."

"Any leads on the other people involved in the crime?" Maura asked.

"Possibly, but Huff is still running the videos through our techs to be sure," Jane stated.

"Excuse me, Dr. Isles," O'Reilly stated as he stepped into the autopsy suite.

"What is it, Senior Criminalist O'Reilly?" Maura asked with her normal, formal lilt.

"Our body..."

"Hugh Mooreland," Maura supplied.

"Yes, well, Mr. Mooreland should have been dead before the gun shot wound," O'Reilly stated.

"Why?" Jane asked.

"Arsenic poisoning."

"Heavy metals..."

"Lead bullets..." Maura added.

"Sounds a lot like Mr. Mooreland got into something he wasn't really prepared for."

"Like what?"

"A very heavy love," Jane said.

"Thank you for the information. If there is anything else, let us and the FBI know. You can call myself or Jane directly," Maura stated basically dismissing the man.

He took his leave, but not before getting a confirmation nod from Jane. The slight smile he gave betrayed his need for praise, but he was with the best and would learn from the best. Maura might not understand all the nuances of social behavior but, she was good with her staff. They knew that a 'thank you' was just as good as an 'atta boy,' and they learned to accept her odd behaviors. Her team was fiercely loyal and they were all good. She wouldn't have accepted them if they weren't.

"Did you make a pun with your comment?" Maura asked as she disposed of her gloves and headed towards her office, knowing that Jane was in tow.

"I might have."

"Well, I guess you'll have to prove your theory because I have nothing to help support the love part of the equation," Maura said as she took her seat behind her desk.

"I have a question for you, Maura, but I think I already I know the answer."

"What is it, Jane?"

"Have you ever been so in love that you were blinded by it? You didn't care about anything but finding a way to be with the one you love. Everything revolved around them and being with them. That they couldn't do any wrong and you were willing to blindly follow them anywhere?" Jane questioned.

"Once upon a time, I would have said that it was Ian. But, I learned that it was more than an infatuation. He was my first true love. I can't even say that I loved Garret. But, Ian, I let him lead me astray more than once. I would like to think that I've learned from that mistake and grown a little since then," Maura said.

"That's heavy love, Maura. I think our man had it with one of the other ban robbers. Like I said, he got in so deep that he couldn't get out," Jane added.

"And the arsenic?"

"Could be from anything, but I wouldn't doubt that someone wasn't poisoning him."

"The lead bullet?"

"He tried to get out. He tried to leave the gang. I don't know, but we do know that our Samaritan's shot wasn't the one that killed him."

"We do?"

"We do," Jane stated.

"How? Luz just found the second bullet."

"There's a second bullet?"

"Yes."

"Your Samaritan was shooting a Remington 45. The fatal bullet must be the older, generic 9 mm. Luz couldn't place the manufacture or the make of the gun besides it is a 9 mm due to the age of the bullet. It is a full lead bullet without a copper jacket. Those are very rare in this day and age. So someone had to have a supply of it. You can't just go buy it off the shelf."

"Could it be homemade?" Jane asked.

"I doubt it, but I can't rule that out. The only thing I can do is match it to a weapon once you or Frankie bring it in. But, I know that it was a 9 mm. Sorry."

"Don't be sorry. That gives us something else to look for. I need to call Huff and have look through the video again. Maybe one of the other robbers is carrying a 9 mm."

Maura just nodded as Jane pulled out her phone. She watched as she talked to Huff, Jane's fellow agent. She was a little jealous of him at the moment. He got to "spitball" ideas with Jane now. He was the one that she bounced things off of. The only reason that Jane was in her office now was because of the two murders that were associated with the bank robberies. If no one had died, she really wouldn't need to be seeking her out. It hurt. Jane was back, but she wasn't. She was still investigating, but she wasn't working with Maura.

Jane looked over at her and gave her the trademark Rizzoli smile. Maura smiled back. Maybe she need to talk to Jane about this. Maybe, she should take a job with the FBI. They could move to Washington. She knew that Jane didn't want that exactly any more, but... She was thinking too hard about this. Jane hadn't left her specifically. She left Boston, but she came back. Jane came back to her. She cocked her head as she watched Jane talk into her phone. Jane had come home. Jane came back for her. Maybe, she was Jane's heavy love... Maybe Jane was hers now...

"Hey, Maur...you okay?" Jane asked her.

"Yeah, Jane. I am fine."

"I know you are, Beautiful, but you seemed lost in thought there. Everything okay?"

"Am I your heavy love?" Maura blurted out the question.

"In a sense, yes, you are Maura. I love you. I want to be with you. But, we both know that we have limits. If you suddenly started a life of crime, I don't know that I could blindly sit back and let you do it. Why?"

"Would you move if I wanted to?"

"To where?"

"Just answer the question," Maura demanded.

"Are we married in this scenario?"

"Let's say yes."

"Then, yes, I would move with you."

"Even if it was back to Washington?"

"If that is what you wanted, yeah," Jane replied. "Do you?"

"No, I don't. I was just thinking. Overthinking, really. Don't worry about it."

"Umm...you realize that is only going to make me worry about it more, right?"

"After this case, can we take a vacation together?"

"Sure. Wherever you want to go," Jane told her.

"Even Paris? Or, what about Africa to help the doctors there?"

"Well, Paris is a no brainer. Africa would be a challenge, but I would go with you if you wanted. I wouldn't be much help in a medical tent, but I would try."

Maura just smiled at her.

"You good?" Jane asked her.

"I am as well as I can be. Like I said, I was just overthinking something. Did Huff have anything new?" Maura asked as she stood up from her desk and walked over to Jane.

"Nope, but he's send the video to our techs to see if they can identify any guns that the robbers are carrying."

"That should prove to be interesting."

"You sure, you're okay?"

"I am fine, Jane. Let's go home and have dinner. I can think of a few things that will help me stop overthinking things."

"Yeah, like what?" Jane asked.

Maura leaned down and said a few things in Jane's ear. Jane's eyebrow cocked and she got a giddy smile on her face. She turned to face Maura, looking her dead in the eye.

"Yeah?"

"Jane, you know I never say something I don't mean."

"Then, why are we still waiting around her for," Jane said as she grabbed Maura's hand and pulled her out of the office towards the elevator.

"But, what about my clothes?"

"You're dressed, Maura. You can always pick up whatever outfit it is tomorrow. Come on. We'll order a pizza and beat it home."


	18. Anything's Possible

**Anything's Possible**

Jane sat at her desk and read over all the reports that were coming in. Besides the strange news of a third bullet that was found in his liver with an scarred over entry wound, it turned out that Mr. Mooreland didn't just have a life in Naperville. No, it seemed that he had one in Stauton, Virginia. Then there was the second wife in Rockport. Jane just shook her head. She seen many things in life as detective in the BPD, but being an agent was making all that seem likes child's play.

"So, our guy has three families?" Jane asked.

"Looks like it," Huff said as he sat his desk across from her.

"So, he starts robbing banks to keep up the facade and lifestyle."

"More than likely," Huff replied.

"So, where was he basing out of? Who did he meet along the way? My gut is telling me that it is one of the wives."

"One of the wives?" Huff asked.

"Yeah, she knows more than she's saying. She had to know that something was up. I mean how do you keep three women in three different states oblivious to each other. How did he hide the fact that he was stepping out on her? And, now, what will happen with his pension and life insurance? Who is the recognized Mrs. Mooreland to the government?" Jane questioned.

"The first wife if they never divorced legally."

"Well that's shit for the family in Rockport, unless he had multiple policies and designated recipients."

"I'll look into it."

"That isn't a motive."

"What do you mean?" Huff asked her.

"He was being poisoned by heavy metals and not just the lead bullet. If his wife had shot him before the robberies, he wouldn't have reported it. He would have gone to someone he trusted to get patched up. He wouldn't want it on record. He wouldn't want her to have to deal with it. He would have covered it up enough that it wasn't noticeable."

"Why hide it?"

"He probably thought he deserved it."

"Okay, so if we go with the theory that one of the wives shot him and was poisoning him, why did he turn to bank robberies?"

"Because of someone she knew."

"Explain," Huff demanded.

"She finds out about the rest of the families. She remarks about it to this friend or associate. She's shot him, but he didn't die and she didn't go to jail. So, she gives him a pass to a degree. She's more demanding and he gives into her so he can maintain his lifestyle. She's okay with it for awhile, but suddenly something fractures between them. He doesn't come home for a baseball game or something. So, she gets pissed. Decides that she wants money and lots of it. She isn't going to divorce him because it would cause too big of a scandal."

"Okay, I'm with you so far," Huff stated.

"So, this friend that she's been complaining to, talking to, and/or ranting to about him gets an idea to make her happy. They'll rob banks. He gets money to spread around his families and she'll get more because she has something to hold over him. He agrees again to keep the status quo in all his relationships. He's lost the power with her, but he can't let the others find out about each other. He's desperate and she knows it. So does the friend."

"But, poisoning him?"

"She's still mad. She thought that she was his one and only, and then she finds out that not only is she not, but he has two other wives. Poisoning is slow and sometimes very hard to prove. Maybe she got greedy. She'll looked at the policies. Or, maybe she's hooked up with the other wives behind his back. She's clued them in and now they are all in one."

"Well that creates a problem," Huff added.

"Yup, which one do we charge with his murder?"

"Got an idea?"

"Not a clue. Plus this is all pure speculation. We have no definitive proof that the wives were in on it or if they even knew about each other. How are Wantanbe and Ayers faring up in Chicago?"

"It's cold and windy."

"Well, they don't call it the windy city for nothing."

"This is true," Huff replied. "They are finishing up with the local Mrs. Mooreland and then heading to Stauton. Don't know what they'll find. Brass is wanting something soon or they are going to send in help."

"Do they not think that we can do this?" Jane asked.

"I don't think that it is matter of thinking we can handle it. I think it is more that we have bank robberies here in Boston and now connections to other states. This might launch a task force. If anything pops near Chicago or around Stauton, then more units will be brought in to solve it."

"Can't we call in some friends?"

"You got some contacts at the Bureau I don't know about?" Huff questioned.

"I don't, really, no. But, I know someone that does. And, I think that she might be able to help us."

"You're talking about Maura aren't you?"

"But of course," Jane said as she reached for her desk phone. "If we can get a national team on our side before the brass starts a task force, they'll leave us alone. Won't hurt to call, will it?"

"Can't say that it will, Rizzoli," he answered with a laugh.

Jane dialed Maura with a smile on her face. She didn't know if Maura was still friends with anyone in the BAU, but if she was, then they had in to keep the case and not end up on some multi-channel and department task force. She was still mad at the Staties for their mishandling. She didn't want someone else getting involved. It would just complicate things.

"Jane? Is there another body?" Maura asked.

"Not that I am aware of, but I need a favor."

"A favor? What sort of favor would you need that you couldn't get with your new FBI credentials? Is it something bad?" Maura questioned.

"No, Love. I need to know if you still have any friends at the BAU. I know that they helped with that case we were working on years ago. And, I also know that you keep in touch with some of the other agents in Washington because of how good of a medical examiner you are. So I was wondering if you had any contact because we have reason to believe that this case just went really nationwide and I would like a little hometown advantage on the case, if possible," Jane told her.

"I'll make a call, but I cannot promise you that they will take it. This isn't exactly what they do and it isn't that high of profile case. It will be up to them, so don't get your hopes too high," Maura stated.

"I know, Maur. I just want to get these fuckers before someone else gets hurt. They are hunting banks in my backyard and I don't like it. And, now we've got two bodies. Anything's possible, right?"

"I'll call you back," Maura said before she hung up.

"So?" Huff asked.

"She's calling and then will let me know," Jane told him.

She went back to her paperwork then. Looking it all over again. They were still waiting on the video techs to see if they could pick out the make or model of the 9 mm that shot Mooreland on scene. It wasn't a cop's and the fact that it was old lead bullet made things interesting. Ballistics was still processing things further at the FBI labs Quantico. Jane knew that they probably wouldn't get more than Maura's team, but they had to try. They had bigger and better machines.

Looking through the financials of Mooreland didn't give them anything either. He was smart with his money. He kept separate accounts and moved his money around between accounts just enough to not raise any suspicions with his wives. It was like he developed a system. The guys in the at the Bureau were impressed with his level of dedication. He did everything to stay off of radars, everyone's radars. The IRS had no clue. The banks hadn't reported any strange activity because he kept everything under the legal limits. And moving from account a and account c into account b wouldn't flag anything either. He did it all little by little.

So, turning back to known associates, Jane started looking at anyone that might carry over from each of his wives. Unsurprisingly, there was no one. She turned to work associates and again found nothing. She was running out of ways to tie him to the crime besides the obvious. They needed something to go on and they had nothing but video and his corpse.

"Jane?"

"Yeah, Huff?"

"Do you think that he was the mastermind?"

"Behind the robberies?"

"Yeah," Huff replied.

"No, why do you ask?"

"Wife number two is sick."

"Sick?"

"Yeah, cancer."

"The one without kids, right?"

"Nope, they've got two."

"Shit."

"Yeah."

"You think that was part of his motivation?"

"Probably, but I think you might be on something with the friend holding it over him, too," Huff answered.

"That isn't going to make this any easier."

"Nope."

"Called Ayers yet?"

"Was just about to let them know," Huff told her.

She nodded. Huff got up and left their small office. He knew that Jane liked the quiet sometimes. She liked to bounce ideas around in her head. She needed the quite to flush out anything that she might have missed. He didn't have anything else to go on, but Jane seemingly found things that could like perps to the crime with the littlest details. He didn't know how she did it, but he was glad that she was on his side. He heard her desk phone ring as he stepped out. He smiled as soon as he heard, "Whatcha got for me, Maur?"

"I've talked with Emily. She's willing to help, but she doesn't know that she stave off a task force. You've got too many hits and three states."

"I know that," Jane said. "I was just hoping that I could keep this close to home."

"I understand that, Jane. She said that she wants to see your files. She'll review it and let you know."

"That's better than nothing right now. I hope that she can give us more of insight into these guys. They are really starting to chap my ass."

"Emily's team is the best. If she can find a link that you've missed, she'll let you know," Maura told her and then completely changed topics as she asked Jane, "You plan on being home in time for dinner tonight?"

"If we don't get another call, yeah. Why? Need me to pick something up?" Jane questioned.

"You might want to get some beer if you want it. I believe you drank the last one last night. Other than that, no, I have everything I need to make dinner."

"Maybe, I'll just have a glass of wine with you."

"Like you've said before: anything's possible."

"That it is, Maura. That it is. I love you. I'll see you at home for dinner," Jane replied.

"Love you, too, Jane. Don't be too late. I know how you are when you have a theory."

"I have too many right now," Jane told her and they both hung up.

Huff came back in. He'd called down the Financial Crimes. They were pulling the wives' financials and looking through them again.

"Her contact gonna help?"

"She wants to review what we've got. I'm gonna write it up and send it over. If you got any theories, let me hear them and I'll add them."

"I don't think that be a problem. They like to see the evidence and then do their own theories. Just send them over what we've got and include what your little brother has. It might spur them on to help us get this done before a task force is set up."

"Anything's possible, right?"

"Hopefully, this time we'll get what we need."

"Yeah, let's set this up and then head to the house. I feel the need for an early day. I owe Maura."

"Sure you do," Huff said with a wink and a smile.


	19. Believer

**Believer**

Wantanabe and Ayers were currently in Chicago working on getting more information about their perp's life there and his family. She and Huff were still looking over everything that Maura and BPD had processed. She had the evidence from the Staties. But, none of that would matter when she got the call.

"Rizzoli," she answered her FBI issued cell phone.

"We've got a problem," Frankie told her.

"What?" Jane asked him.

"Some sort of fanatic with a bomb at the Children's Museum. We can't place them and we don't know what their agenda is. We're calling in everybody."

"We'll be there."

"Jane?"

"Yeah?"

"Be careful."

"You know I will."

"Not for me or Ma. Think about Maura. She's gonna be worried," Frankie told her.

"I know," she replied as she hung up.

She looked over at Huff. He didn't say a word as she got up and grabbed her jacket. He just followed her lead, but on the way out he made sure that their flak vests were in the back of the vehicle. He even let her drive. He knew better. He'd seen her in this mode before. And, he knew Jane's record. He knew that she would tell him what he needed to know as soon as she could.

When they arrived at the museum, BPD had everything cordoned off. Jane made her way over to the BPD officer's van and started talking to their brass. He sat back and watched. He knew that they could take over, but for now, she would wait. If she felt that the threat was bigger than they could handle, she'd take over. He listened to the officers as they were scrambling around. He gathered enough about the situation that he was reaching for his phone to call in back up when Jane approached him.

"They already have boats moving down the river and they are clearing the area, slowly."

"Has he giving any reason for the bomb?"

"He won't talk to them," Jane told him.

"I'll call in a tactical team."

"Okay," Jane replied.

"What?"

"It isn't that I don't think that they can handle this, Huff. I am wondering what this guy's angle is. Why target the Children's Museum? Is he trying to make a statement? Is he looking for a body count?"

"I don't know, Jane. And, you don't either. We can't speculate. We're going to have to wait until he makes demands or starts talking to them. Don't get any ideas," Huff told. "Jane, I am serious. Don't start planning anything. We aren't here to take over. We're here to help."

"I know that," Jane replied.

"Then stand down."

Frankie saw and came running over. He was already in his flak vest. She recognized some of the other officers and detectives on the scene. SWAT was already there and they were trying to negotiate, but it didn't seem to be going well.

"What's wrong?" she asked him.

"He wants to talk to you," Frankie told her.

"Me?" Jane asked, pointing to herself.

"Yeah, you," Frankie replied.

"Why?"

"He won't say. He only said that he would talk to Officer Rizzoli. When I got closer, he went ballistic. Kept screaming something about he wanted Rizzoli. When I identified myself as Frankie Rizzoli, he told me, 'Not you, the other one," Frankie stated.

"So, so crazed out bomber wants to talk to me and we don't know why."

"Yup."

"Great," Jane said as she reached back and grabbed her flak vest. "Lead the way."

Frankie followed her back to the "front line." They stopped at the command van and looked around. SWAT Commander Grant came up to them.

"No way, Rizzoli. Not going to happen. You aren't going in there. I can't allow it," Grant told her.

"How many kids, Grant?"

"We don't know."

"He wants me. I'm going."

"I can't allow it," Grant said again.

"I'm FBI now, Grant. You can't really stop me. Give me a phone and an open channel," Jane told him.

She was already handing her weapon to Frankie when Huff got up there. He was shaking his head, but he reached up and ripped off the FBI logos off her flak vest. He knew that there was no way he was going to talk her out of it. He snatched the Police patches off Frankie's and put them onto Jane's.

"Don't get any ideas," he told both of them. "Rizzoli, you better get out of this alive or I'm going to skin you myself."

"Roger that, Huff."

Grant handed her a phone. It was already dialed into the commander center and the volume was turned up. The other end went to a speaker set up so there would be no communication through it. He put it in her pocket. He checked her vest and then gave her an ear piece.

"You're on channel four. Don't do anything stupid like shoot yourself again, Rizzoli. I don't want your Ma and Maura on me for this. Got it?"

"Got it."

Jane took a deep breath and made her way into the museum. She came at the building with her hands up. She wanted to let the guy know that she wasn't a threat. Well, at least not yet. She wanted to talk him down and hopefully get him to dismantle or deactivate it. She looked through the glass. She saw the frightened parents and kids that were on that floor. She walked up to the automatic doors slowly.

The doors opened slowly. He waved her in and she walked in. She made it through the mudroom part of the entrance. She looked at all the people huddled up together there. She knew that BPD had already looked into breaking into the fire exits and getting people off the other floors, so she wanted to get as many of those people out of there as she could as well.

"I'm Officer Rizzoli. You wanted to speak to me," she started.

"Yeah!" he called back from where he was sitting.

"How about we let some of these kids go? You've got me now. Show all those cops out there a sign of good faith. Work with me and help me help you, okay?"

"Only this area," he replied.

"Sure, sure, that's fine," she stated.

She walked over to the first family that was huddled closest to the door. She helped them stand up and walked them to the door. As they neared the door, Jane decided to talk to the rest of the families.

"Alright everyone. I need you to stand up and work your way over here to the entrance. It's alright. Just follow my orders and I'm going to get you out of here...Good. Now gather up your stuff and head towards me. Stay together."

Families and groups started moving towards her. When a big enough group got to her, she smiled at them. She pushed them towards the mudroom area.

"Now as you exit, raise your hands. Follow the maze the left and head towards the giant milk bottle. The police will check you all out and send you on your way. Now, slowly and without pushing or shoving make your way over there," Jane told them.

Outside, SWAT Commander Grant and Frankie were smiling. They knew that Jane had just done them a solid and helped minimize the possible body count. She was getting people out of the area. Huff just watched. He was itching to be in there with her, but instead he was in the command van talking to her. He was proud of her. He knew that she was trying to defuse the situation, but he wasn't happy that she was in the building with him.

"How are we on getting the rest of them out of there?"

"Third floor is cleared, sir. Men are slowly working their way down to the second floor and getting the families up to the third floor and out. Jane is doing a good job of keeping him busy and focused on her."

"Keep the view on you," Huff said into the mic that went straight into Jane's ear.

She nodded, not that they could see her. She knew that they were working on video. As soon as they were in, Huff would let her know.

"Can you tell me your name?" she asked him.

"It isn't important."

"It is to me," Jane replied.

"Why?"

"Because I don't want to refer to you as 'bomber,' I want to help you. If I know your name, it'll help me. Just talk to me and tell me what you want me to know. What do you want?"

"Call me Zevan," he stated.

"Okay, that's good. Zevan. Now, we've let everyone in area go. You've got me. Why did you ask for me?"

"Because you are the hero."

"I'm not a hero, Zevan. I am just a cop. I just do my job," Jane told him.

"But, you're more than that. You shot yourself to stop a crooked cop. You've jumped off Charlestown Bridge to save a suspect. You've done a lot for this city and for what? A medal or two. You deserve more than that," Zevan stated.

"Well, what do you think that I deserve, Zevan?" she asked him and hoped that SWAT was moving quickly.

She realized that he was a Rizzoli fanatic. He wasn't going to tell her his agenda because he really didn't have one beyond meeting her and seeing her in action. He'd created the scenario to draw her out because she hadn't been on the news or in the papers in a while.

"They need to give you the key to the City or make a Boston Saint or something, you know?"

"I don't think that I qualify as a saint, far from it, Zevan. I am happy to know that you've followed my career and think that I have done an outstanding job, but that is just it. It was...is my job. I serve and protect Boston. That's what I get paid to do. It's something that I'm good at," she told him.

"And, you should be prouder of that," he countered.

She didn't think that he was a religious zealot, but he was very fanatical. She wasn't sure how far he was willing to take this. His focus seemed to be on her and her heroic acts. She wondered what he was going to push this into. What was he looking for her to do?

"Jane, we finally have visual and the top two floors are clear. We're doing a head count of staff to make sure that we've got everyone out. Can you walk around with him on the first floor and make sure that it's clear?" Huff asked her through the ear piece.

She nodded along to what Zevan was saying, hoping that Huff got the fact that she understood his message. She had let him just start talking in hopes that something would come out to help her find an opening. He just kept reciting the specifics of her most infamous cases. She knew all the specifics. She really didn't need him recanting them out like some mantra to her, but she let him.

"So, don't you see? That don't appreciate you. They don't understand what you've given up for this City to keep it safe. They don't know what it is like for you," he said.

"But, you do?"

"Yes, I do."

"And, how do you?"

"Because I also served and protected."

"In the military?"

"Of sorts," he replied.

"Of sorts?"

"I was in God's Army," he told her.

She had no idea what that meant. But, maybe she'd ruled out religious zealot too soon. She hadn't heard of any cults lately that were local and recruiting. She ran through a short list of supremacy groups that used religion to further their agenda, but none of them really fit the bill. He didn't look like he was some disillusioned veteran.

"God's Army?" she asked.

"Yes, like you," he replied.

She shook her head, in a quick tic like motion, while she was thinking, _wow, this guy is off the rails._ She took step back from him and managed to find a camera. She knew that she would be able to do many hand signals, but she hoped that some one out there in the command van spoke ASL. She was still trying to figure out what to sign to them, while she was silently thanking Maura for making her take the class one summer with her.

"Jane, try to keep him talking. We're trying facial recognition to learn more about him. You're doing good. Building is clear. Find a way to get clear. We've got a sniper trained on him. They are at the Tea Party Museum," Huff told her in the ear piece.

She nodded again.

"Good. Now, Jane get him to let you go. I don't care what you have to say. Get away from that fucker. You've been in there long enough. I want my partner back. So, talk to him just enough to get him lined up for a shot."

"Zevan?"

"Yes, Jane?"

"What is your mission here today?"

"To prove how vunerable this town really is and to prove that it needs people like us to make it safer," he told her.

"Wearing a bomb vest is kinda counterproductive to that, don't ya think?" she asked him.

"No, because it brought you here. It got you back out into the spotlight so others will know what you are doing for the city. They feel protected when they have a hero. Boston has had a hero in a while, Jane."

"So it has."

"You don't remember when we met do you?"

"I am sorry, Zevan. I don't. But, I guessing that it had to do with one of my cases."

"You could say that. It was before you were in homicide. You dealt with a dealer down in Southie. I think that you took such a personal interest in the case. You hounded him for months until you got him. I was just old enough to go to the Academy then. So, I did."

"You went to the Police Academy."

"I did. Graduated with honors, but I wasn't the top of my class. I did well enough. Worked the beat Jamaica Plain, before going out for SWAT."

"You were on SWAT?"

"Yeah, I was that command center shoot out. I saw you shoot yourself. Didn't understand it then, but after I did. I knew why you did it."

"Yeah, to get my brother out of their and into medical care. He was dying. That was my only thought."

"No, it wasn't. You knew that your partners wouldn't shoot. You knew that they wouldn't compromise you in that situation. You knew that he was going to get away unless you acted. So, you did. You did what no one else would do and do you know why?"

"No, why?"

"Because you and both have that mentality. We both will do what we have to do in order to make people see what really needs to be done. You wanted to stop a criminal and you knew that they wouldn't shoot you to get to him. It didn't matter that you were screaming at them to shoot. It was one of the reasons that Hoyt adored you. He knew that you had that instinct. You intrigued him. You gave him something that no one else did."

"What do you know of Hoyt?" Jane hissed back at him in question.

"Jane! Calm down. Do feed into his delusion. Keep the coarse. Get him into a good angle. Just listen to me. We'll take him down."

"How much are you strapped with?" Jane asked, changing tactics.

"Ah, straight to the point now. Are you partners out there worried about your anger issues when it comes to Hoyt? Hmm... Go ahead and take the phone out of your pocket and kill it."

Jane realized that she'd been played. He wasn't a true fanatic of hers. He was one of Hoyts. He studied her. He probably lied about the police work. She did as he asked. She realized that she didn't know if he had a gun on him. She was unarmed, but he wasn't. He had a vest bomb strapped to him, so he was going to be in charge until someone could take the shot. He'd signed his own death warrant, now.

"So, you were in SWAT. You know how this works. You know that you aren't going to just walk out of here unless you disarm that bomb strapped to you."

"I don't plan on walking out of here alone," he told her as he jumped down off the admissions desk and walked back over to her. "You are going to be my shield. I know that they gave your an ear bud. I don't care. I don't want them to hear the rest of this, though."

"Hear what?"

"Hoyt was crazy in the fact that he had no empathy. He couldn't feel sorry for what he was doing. I am not sure that I feel sorry for anyone, but I know the difference. I left after the shoot out. I got hit during the assault on the precinct. Still have issues with it, you know? But, I got a good pension and medical care. Even got vocational help to find another job when I was medically retired. That's when God came to me."

"He did?"

"Yeah, he did. I started patrolling at night. Roxbury and Jamaica Plain were bad, but no one did anything with all the good I was doing. I would drop perps off of a precinct and nothing would happen to them. No one cared. I did what I was supposed to do. I gave them everything and they just let them go. I couldn't watch it anymore, Jane. No one cares like we do."

"So, where are we going?"

"Just over the rail and into the river. I got people waiting for me. Divers and such. They won't find me. I'll be gone and maybe they'll do something before something major happens in the city."

"Major?"

"I don't think that I need to remind you about New York, do I?" he asked her.

Her eyes went wide. She signed to the camera "River, diver, and SWAT." Before she could get a response, he grabbed her. She tried to assess the vest and what he could have in it. She was too close, but she recognized the dead man switch.

"Shit," she said under her breath.

He walked her out of the doors. She realized as soon as her eyes adjusted to the sunlight that Huff and the others had gotten her message. Too bad, the scene reminded her so much of that day when the precinct was under attack. Her brother, Commander Grant, and Huff were in the front as they walked slowly towards them. His grip around her didn't falter.

He gave them all a sicking smile as he backed them towards the railing and the river. Huff watched helplessly as he knew she was trying to find a way for someone to get a clear shot. Problem was that Zevan just about her size. She couldn't break free and the more she fought him, the tighter his grip became. She looked around and gave her brother a sign. She hoped that he knew what it meant. Just seconds after she gave him the sign, she raised her left, her dominant hand at him and signed "I love you."

The last thing she heard before she went over the rail with Zevan was the sounds of Huff and Frankie yelling out her name.

* * *

Across town, Maura and Angela were sitting in Maura's living room on one of Maura's few personally taken days off. The TV was on in the background. They weren't really paying attention as they were planning the wedding. Angela had gotten with Constance and secured Fenway as long as it wasn't a home game for the wedding, knowing that even though Jane had been kidding, getting married on home plate would really make her happy.

"We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming to bring this report of a situation down at the Children's Musuem."

"Thanks, Sarah. I'm down here at the Tea Party Museum and we are overlooking at the Children's Museum. Reports of a bomber inside lead police and the FBI to block off the area and start to evacuate the building. We've been told that their is an officer inside with the bomber. No word on who it is or what the bomber wants, but we're paying close attention to the area and waiting for more information as it happens."

Maura instinctively reached for her phone. She dialed Jane's number and waited for her to pick up. It went to voicemail. She couldn't help but wonder if Jane was done there in all that mess. She figured if it was something that bad, Jane would have called her.

"Call Frankie," Angela suggested.

"Okay," Maura said as she tried Frankie's number.

"Maura?"

"Frankie, what's going on?" Maura questioned as she started pacing in front of the TV.

"Nothing much. Just watching SWAT evacuate a building. We're good, Maur. We've got it."

"Frankie."

"What?"

"Where's Jane?"

"She isn't with me."

"She's isn't with you."

"Nope."

"That seems unlikely."

"Well, she's with the FBI now, Maura," Frankie told her.

"I know that, Frankie. But, the news said that the FBI was down there, too. I can't get ahold of her."

"Oh, the news, huh?" Frankie asked.

She could hear shuffling and shouting. She assumed that Frankie was moving to a better location. The shouting got quieter, but it was definitely someone on the force. She couldn't make it all out, but there was something about the press and back them up further. And, something about the FBI agent inside, but she didn't know what it meant.

"Maura, you still there?"

"Yes, I am still here."

"Ma with you?"

"Yes, she's here with me. What's going on, Frankie? Tell me what you can."

"Maura..."

"Frankie?!"

"She's the officer inside."

"Who's the officer inside?"

"Jane's inside with the maniac."

"SHE'S WHAT!?"

"I got to go. I'll call back when I can. Sorry, Maur," Frankie told her before the line went dead.

"Turn it up, Angela," Maura said as she fell back into the couch.

Angela could see the concern on her face. She grabbed the remote quickly and turned up the volume. She moved closer to Maura and grabbed her hand.

"We're still down here that Tea Party Museum. The police have moved people back further and we've been told that everything that works in the museum and all the patrons have been completely evacuated. Our sources have let us know that a few hours ago a lone male suspect walked into the museum with a vest bomb attached to him. He demanded that everyone get down and the police be called. Upon arrival, he could be heard by patrons outside and on the street before barricades were in place calling out for an Officer Rizzoli," the anchor on the news reported.

"Oh, God, Frankie..."

"Attempts by SWAT were made but the man wouldn't surrender. We'll have some footage of an officer approaching and then entering the building tonight for you at five. What we do have is a raw and uncut clip from a patron's cell phone. We are trying to clean it up a little for you now. But, just know that a single officer walked into talk to the suspect and within ten minutes, it was said that this officer got the bomber to release everyone on the first floor through the main entrance. SWAT managed to evacuate the rest up and out through a series of fire escapes."

The camera panned to the front of the museum. The doors were opening and the angle zoomed in. Jane could be seen coming out front, first followed by a man just behind her.

"Mary, Mother of God, what is happening to my baby?" Angela exclaimed.

"It looks like the bomber has exited the building. We're told that there are snipers trained on him and they've been given the go ahead to take the shot. What's that she's doing? Alex, zoom in closer to the officer. What's she doing? ... She's what?...She's signing?...signing what?" the anchor asked her camera man or producer just off screen as well.

"Maura, what's she saying?"

"She signed 'River and divers.' But, that doesn't make any sense. She's saying S...something...A...T...she's spelling out SWAT. She keeps doing it."

"It looks like he is dragging them away from the building. There is no where for him to go. He is surrounded by police and FBI. She's signing again."

"Maura?"

"She's saying 'I love you.' Oh, Jane, no. Not again."

"What, Maura, what?" Angela asked as they watched him pull them over the rail and into the Fort Point Channel.

Seconds later a column of water exploded from the service before a loud boom could be heard. Maura and Angela didn't hear a word of what the anchor down there was reporting. They didn't need to, nor did they want to until they knew that Jane was okay. They both dropped everything, grabbed their bags, and Maura's keys and were out the door in seconds. Maura didn't know where to go. She handed Angela her phone hoping that Frankie would call her before they got down to Fort Point and the barricades to tell them that Jane was alright, but wet.

As they drove as far as they could, the call never came.


	20. Proud

**Proud**

Maura was pacing just outside the large conference room. She wasn't nervous, but she didn't like not knowing what was going on. She used every favor she had to get her there and then some, but the FBI loved her for her work and her ability to break things down while she was on the stand. She was the best of both worlds in their book and she wanted to know something, they usually told her. Unfortunately, this was one of those times where she was just going to have to wait.

"Maura?"

"Korsak, what are you doing here?" Maura asked.

"I got a call from an Agent Huffstatler telling me to be here by five today and not to be late. Didn't explain anything, really. Just said that it had to do with some case and it would be in my best interest to be here. So, I'm here," he replied.

"A case? I don't know anything about any case," she said before shaking it off. "I think it has something to do with Jane."

"Jane?"

"Yes, she took a dive off the Children's Museum dock and into the Fort Point Channel with a suspect."

"She what?!" Korsak asked.

* * *

"Huff, do I really have to be here?" Jane asked him.

"Yes, you do. You were the idiot that had to be brave, so now, you have to do this. So, shut up and smile for the cameras. And, make FBI look good in the papers because you know that they are going to publish this shit."

"I don't wanna do this," Jane said, flailing her body to emphasize her point.

"No body ever does. We hate the limelight. That is why we try to give everything back to the locals. BUt, we can't do that this time. You went in the situation, put yourself in harms way, safely engineered a way to get all the hostages out of the museum and managed somehow to sign for help, letting us know that he hand friends in the water. What I don't get is how you made it far enough away from him that the concussion wave or the explosives didn't get you. So, don't knock it. You're going to get two awards, you're gonna smile and you're going to shake the Director's hand. He came all the way down here to meet you. So, you've made an impression," Huff told her.

"Fuck."

"Exactly."

"When does this shit start?" Jane asked him.

"Around five."

"And, I can't leave the building until after it's over."

"Nope."

"Afraid that I won't come back?"

"I know you won't."

"Would you?" Jane questioned.

"I'm not the one that took a swim with a bomber."

"Can we at least work on a case or something? I need to get my mind of this. I don't want to think about it."

"You did go see the shrink, right?" Huff inquired.

"I did. You know that. I've been cleared medically and mentally. I can't just sit here and do nothing for a few hours."

"Sure you can," he told her. "Besides, your mother will be here at 4 with your suit. I had her get with Maura to get it laundered. So, it will be freshly pressed for you. I'll get you to the locker rooms in time to change."

"Who else is coming?" Jane asked.

"Well, let's see. There's the Director, the Assistant Director of Public Affairs, the CID Assistant Director, oh, yeah, and the local bureau chief, and that's just from the FBI. There's going to be brass from the BPD and the State, city officials, and possible the National Guard. That enough for you?"

"Hell, I figured the President would be there, too," Jane replied sarcastically.

"I think he's busy with some summit."

"But, seriously," Jane stated.

"There is going to be a lot of brass. You're just going to have to deal with it. Just smile, take the pictures, and everything will be fine. Tomorrow we can go back to working the bank robberies," Huff said.

"I hate you. I hope you know that. I seriously hate you."

"Did you not think that you wouldn't be written up for an award, Jane? How many did you get while with the BPD? I know of at least two. Hell, the whole city does, Jane. You're a local hero. It was on the news. It isn't like we can just cover it up and let it go away."

"Fine."

"Are you not proud of what you did?"

"I am sufficiently happy with the outcome. I would have been happier to actually talk to the bastard some more. He knew too much about me. He knew things that only a handful of people do and he knew about some of my cases. He had a network or something."

"Do we need to look into it?"

"I think so, but I don't even know where to start. We don't even really know his real name. I can only think that he had communication with Hoyt before his death. I guess we should start there. We need to find some sort of connection to him."

"Jane?"

"What?!" she snapped at him.

"Do you need to walk away from this?"

"No. This bastard has done enough in my life. I caught him twice. I killed him. I want this to be over, forever. I want to know that there isn't someone else out there planning to come after me because they were brainwashed by him. I need to know that my bogey man is actually gone. If I can't do that, then I don't need to have a badge and I certainly don't need to be bringing anymore people into my life."

"Why?" Huff asked her.

"Because they'll be used against me, and the bogey man will win," Jane stated.

* * *

"She did what she had to do to protect the populace, but that doesn't mean that I am happy about this," Maura told him.

"Was she hurt?"

"Amazingly, no. As soon as she hit the water, she says she kicked out. She guessed about the amount of explosives. She knew that she had to get as far away as could as quick as she could. Based on what I could see of the vest he was wearing, she need to clear fifteen meters before his deadman switch went off. By her signaling about the divers, SWAT had divers in the water. All of his little friends were dealt with, but he didn't know that. Also, any hopes that he had of escape by boat were stopped because the Port Authority, the FBI and BPD shut down the mouth of the channel. He honestly had no where to go."

"That's good. Do any of the 'friends' have a record? Are there going to be further investigations?" Korsak asked.

"Yeah, Frankie wanted it, but they wouldn't let him. He was too close to it. They did however let Jane pick the team from the BPD. Huffstatler called in a team from DC to cover the FBI's side. He mentioned something about not trusting Jane to get involved with the case if they didn't."

"He seems to know her well," Korsak stated.

"He's learning. He's doing well with her. He lets her lead a lot of the time even though he technically outranks her on the books. He doesn't seem to mind her straightforwardness. I guess he was tired of her railroading him sometimes. Letting her lead was just easier. You knew that, and you respected her for what she did. She does what she does because she's good and she wants to be able to get justice. It's not because she is out to prove herself."

"I know that, Maura. I realized that early on. Her gut was usually right, which is frightening most of the time. And, sometimes it did lead to her getting hurt, but most of the time she had us behind her. I was never worried about her except that night with Hoyt. I never wanted that for her. I still blame myself for that. I know she doesn't blame me, but I can't help it. I should have stopped her. I didn't. She went in alone and without knowing that I was coming to help. When I figured out what she knew, I was there as fast as I could be, but it wasn't fast enough."

"You saved her that day, Korsak. She got hurt. She has nightmares about it, but she's never blamed you. She always blames herself. She always has. She stares at her hands sometimes and I know that she wants to scream. She wants for it not to matter and not to affect her, but it does. She doesn't think herself as a hero, but she is. She doesn't like the mantle."

"Most of us don't," Korsak stated. "I understand where she is coming from. I was just doing my job. I was of service. I know that I didn't have to do it, but I did. I stepped up to do it when others wouldn't. I wanted to do it. I felt like I needed to do it. I never took the job for the recognition and I know Jane didn't either. Getting praise from the brass is one thing, getting medals and being celebrated is something completely different."

"Well, I doubt that she is going to be happy today then."

"Oh, God, are they giving her something?"

"Two medals and some citations."

"No wonder they called me. Huff must have read her reports and talked with Cavannaugh. He knows that I can try to keep her calm. Is Angela coming, too?" Korsak asked her.

"She should be here soon with a nice, laudered suit for Jane to wear."

"Well, thank God for that," Korsak replied.

"I'm sorry?"

"She doesn't have a uniform to wear. She hated that. I hated that. At least, this way she'll be a little more comfortable."

"I just wish that she was proud of what she did."

"Trust me. She is. She just doesn't want to brag about it. She's always happy when we get the guy. She's even happier when he gets sentenced. This is just something to make everyone, the department, but mostly the brass, look good in the eyes of the public," Korsak stated.

"It's a closed ceremony. Pictures and blurb might be released but only certain individuals will be allowed at the ceremony. I am sure that is why they called you. She might have asked for you to come. You know that she thinks of you as more than a former partner, Vince. You were also like a father to her."

"I know that, Maura. I just wish that I'd known what was going on. I might have worn a better suit."

"I think that is why they didn't tell you," Maura said with a slight giggle. "They didn't want to put on 'airs' as they say. This is probably just going to be a small and intimate gathering. She'll be given the awards and that will be all."

"You're proud of her, aren't you?"

"How can I not be? She's always fighting for justice. Sure, she gets hurt sometimes, but I have to be realistic about it. She's a cop and bad things happen. Does it make me worry about her? Everyday, but every time she calls me or comes home, I know that she's safe. And, I know that it would destroy her if she ever stopped being a police office in some fashion. Working for the FBI is a little safer than working the streets, but that doesn't make it any less dangerous. I realized after Suzie's death, however, that even being coroner is dangerous. Being the daughter of Paddy Doyle doesn't help that, either. So, I am very proud of Jane. I always will be, even when she doesn't want to be proud of herself and everything that she's done."

"What medals are they giving her?"

"The FBI Medal of Meritorious Achievement and the FBI Medal of Valor."

"Good," Korsak said. "Starts at 5?"

"Yeah," Maura replied.

* * *

"Thank you all for being with us today," Director Madden of the FBI stated. "I think that we can all agree that we are here to celebrate the service of one of our own. She has proven to be a big asset for us and I am glad that we managed to convince her to move from teaching and being a liaison with the Boston Police Department to being a Special Agent with our Boston Field Office. I am proud to be here with you all today to present these two awards to Special Agent Jane Rizzoli. It is truly an honor to present these. Agent Rizzoli."

Jane sighed, but stood up and made her way to the front of the little auditorium. She shook the Director's hand as the Assistant Director of HR took the podium. Another assistant director handed Director Madden the actual award and he handed it to Jane as the HR Director read the actual presentation.

"The FBI Medal for Meritorious Achievement is awarded for extraordinary and exceptional meritorious service in a duty of extreme challenge and great responsibility, extraordinary and exceptional achievements in connection with criminal or national security cases, or a decisive, exemplary act that results in the protection or the direct saving of life in severe jeopardy in the line of duty.

"And, the FBI Shield of Bravery is presented for brave and courageous acts occurring in the line of duty or within the scope of FBI employment which may extend to major assistance to a task force or undercover operation, grave situations, or crisis confrontations associated with the highest priority cases of the FBI.

"On July 13, 2017, Special Agent Jane Rizzoli was on scene at a hostage situation that had possible terrorist ties. The bomber was wearing an explosive vest when he entered the Boston's Children's Museum. Jane risked her own personal safety as she entered the building to try to defuse the situation. While inside the museum, Ms. Rizzoli secured the freedom of those on the first floor and kept the bomber focused on her while tactical teams managed to finish securing the area and getting the rest of the hostages to safety without the bomber knowing.

"For her bravery, her diligence, and her willingness to place herself in grave danger, we are proud to award Special Agent Rizzoli with the FBI Medal for Meritorious Achievement.

"Ms. Rizzoli displayed extraordinary calm, compassion, and bravery in the face of tremendous adversity. She put the safety of the city and its citizens above her own safety without giving it a second thought. We are grateful for her example of selfless service and we are honored to present her with the Shield of Bravery," the HR Director stated.

Jane stood there with both medals. She's smiled and shaken all the requisite hands. She felt like she had done her due as being parading around like a prized bitch. She was over it. She was ready to go. She smiled more and stood for the pictures and as soon as she was released she was heading for the door.

"Couldn't stay out of the water, huh?" Korsak asked her she made her way to the door.

She turned and gave her old partner a hug. She was and she wasn't surprised to see him there. She grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the auditorium.

"Who called you?"

"Your partner, Huff," he answered.

"I hate all this pomp and circumstance."

"Don't we all, Jane. But, you should be proud. You did a good thing. You survived it. And, you helped protect the city again. You deserve it," he told her.

"Yeah, well."

"Be proud of it, Jane. I know I am. You should be, too," Korsak stated.

"Coming from you, I think I might actually be a little more," Jane answered.

"Come on. Beers are on me. We'll go to the bar."

"What about everyone else?" Jane asked.

"I am sure that Maura knows how to get them there."


	21. Sentimental Memories

**Sentimental Memories**

"Okay, so we know that the family in Stauton didn't have kids?"

"Correct," Wantanabe replied.

"Okay, so wife number one in Naperville, two kids, he just walks away from and no one really knows why, least of all her. She was very surprised to find out about wife number two and wife number three. She was the one that he was trying to keep secret and the one that he always went back to, but something happened that pulled him away from Illinois and brought him here."

"That seems to be the short of it," Huff stated.

"So wife number two in Stauton and Mooreland don't have kids. Wife number three and Mooreland have two kids. Wife number three lives in Rockland. I think that she is a big part of this case. We need to talk to her. Why haven't we talked to her?"

"She keeps rescheduling," Huff told her.

"Okay, no more rescheduling. We're gonna go sit on the house. Wantanabe, you and Ayers, type up everything and see if you can link the second wife and the three wife somehow, financials, cell phone tower pings, something. I think that they were working together. There has to be a link that we aren't seeing."

"And, you're going to grill the third widow and kids?" Wantanabe asked.

"Grill is such a harsh word. No, I'm going to have a conversation with them and look around their house. The house will tell me more about this guy. Something isn't sitting right with all of this and I can't figure out what it is," Jane told him.

"And, if the BAU shows up?" the smaller Asian woman asked.

"Entertain them until we get back. I am sure that they'll want to look over our notes. Give them what we have. Still don't know that they are coming, though."

"If they don't, you know that the brass is going to start a task force," Wantanabe stated.

"Well, here's to hoping we solve this fast or the BAU shows up today," Jane replied as she headed for the door.

Huff just waved at them as they left the building. He didn't say anything as Jane drove out of Boston and to Rockport. He was watching her. He could tell that she was on edge, but he couldn't figure why. He wasn't sure if he should ask, so he didn't. He knew that Jane would say something when she was ready.

They pulled up to the Massachusetts' wife of Mooreland. Her name was Carole Whitehead Mooreland. The two children were named Thomas David and Alexander Hugh. None of that mattered really because Hugh David Mooreland was dead. Jane put the SUV in park in front of the house. She looked at Huff and they disembarked the vehicle and made their way to the front door.

They straightened their jackets and rang the bell. After a few moments, a tall blond haired woman answered the door. She looked them up and down and waited. Jane produced her credentials and showed them to the woman.

"We're looking for Carole Mooreland," Jane stated.

"I'm Carole, Agent. What can I do for you?"

"We need to speak with you about Hugh," Jane replied.

"Is that really necessary?" Carole asked.

"Unfortunately, yes, it is."

"Agent, I found out that my husband isn't legally my husband and depending on how he had everything written. My children and I get nothing. A woman I don't even know in Illinois might now has the rights to my house, my money and anything that Hugh might have left us. And, you want to talk to me about it?"

"We need to know what you know, Ms. Mooreland. I know that this hard for you. I don't know what I would do if I was in your position. And, I get that you don't want to talk about it. I understand that you might want to have get a lawyer to help you through this, but we need to talk to you. So, we can either do that here in the comfort of your home or you can keep refusing us and I'll have to get all agent-y and take you back to Boston and talk to you at the Federal Building in a FBI interview room. Now the choice is yours, Carole. Which would you prefer?" Jane asked her.

Huff stood beside her. He didn't say anything. He figured that Jane had it covered. He could tell that she wasn't leaving until she had a conversation with this third Mrs. Mooreland. They needed answers and Jane was going to get them today somehow.\

"Come in. You have until I have to go pick my kids up at school. That should be plenty of time, yes?" she asked back as she answered.

"Yes, plenty," Jane replied.

They slowly made their way into the home. Jane made sure to look at everything. If Maura's friend from school, Emily had been there, Jane was sure that she would be taking mental images to give the group later and they would be able to get some sort of idea of what the home life really was like. She would be able to dissect what life was like for this Mrs. Mooreland.

Jane looked at the pictures. She kept looking at them as they made their way into the living room. There was a man in the pictures that looked familiar but she couldn't place him. He was in several of the pictures. There was a nagging feeling and when she looked at Huff, she could see that he was on the same wavelength.

She watched as he pulled out his phone. He took some pictures of the pictures that they saw so they could figure out what was going on with that man. He did this while Jane moved her around the room, still looking, and waiting for them to find a place to sit.

"Tell me about Hugh," Jane said as soon as they were seated on the couch.

"He was a good man. He did everything that he could for his family. He was here for a few days every week. He was on the road a lot, but now, I know why. He never made me wonder if there was something else. He was working. To me, he was a truck driver. He was moving around a lot and he took jobs that kept him on the road to keep us happy."

"He did it for the money?" Jane asked.

"Yes."

"Did you ever have issues with money?"

"No, we didn't," Carole stated.

"Can you think of anything that Hugh might have said or done that would have let you know that he was involved with the bank robberies in Boston?"

"No."

"Did he suddenly come into a influx of money?"

"No."

"No?"

"Nothing more than usual. That is why I am so surprised by his death and his involvement with those robberies. It wasn't something that Hugh did, you know? He was a good man. He wouldn't be involved with something like that," Carole told them.

"Is there anyone that you can think of that he was friends with that would have gotten him into something like this?"

"No, no one. I just can't conceive of it. There just wasn't a need for it, you know? He wasn't like that. He was a loving man. And, evidently he had two other families that he is supporting. He did what he had to do to maintain his lifestyle and his families. But, I can't see anyone that we were both friends with that would do this. It just doesn't make sense," Carole told her.

"I agree with you. It doesn't. That is why we wanted to talk to you. We are trying to figure out how he got into this. We think that it is a gang of robbers. He got involved with them for some reason. And, we are trying to get to the bottom of it. But that isn't all. He was killed by someone in the gang."

"So someone that he was working with in the robberies killed him?"

"Yeah, they did. And, they used a really old type of ammunition. We're tracing it now. But, it doesn't make sense though," Jane told her.

"It doesn't?"

"No, Carole, it doesn't. Someone on his team killed him. It wasn't the good Samaritan. It was someone that he knew, someone that he was working with and someone that he had to trust enough to do these robberies with them, and then that person betrayed him," Jane stated.

Carole looked shocked. She didn't know that it was someone in on the robberies that killed her husband. She just knew that he was dead. She might not have known about the cause that got him started, but she knew all too well the effect that it was having on her and her family.

"I don't know who it could be."

"These are some nice pictures of you and your family that you have," Huff added seemingly out of nowhere.

"Thanks," Carole replied.

"Who's that?" Huff asked her as he pointed to the man in question.

"Oh, that. That's my cousin Danny. He helped Hugh get his rig set up for long hauls and stuff. He's a mechanic down at a garage in Newton. That is where Hugh always took his rig to get serviced. Danny was real good to him."

"Why was that?"

"Cause we're family, you know? He wanted to make sure that we were taken care of. Danny always worried about me."

"How old is Danny?"

"I don't know. He was a teenager the first time I met him, but I was still small. He took on a brotherly role, you know? After his parents died, he stayed near our house. My parents took him in, I guess, but he didn't live with us. But, he was always over for Sunday dinner after church. Never missed it."

"Where's Danny now?"

"In Newton, I think. But, he's got a brother that lives down in Virginia, somewhere. It's a small town, real small, I think. In the middle of nowhere. He wanted to take us all down there for a vacation to get away from all the touristy stuff here, but Hugh never had the time, you know? Wishes and hopes turned into nothing more than memories. That's all those are now. Just memories caught in time on paper. I'll never have him back and the man that I love was murdered while committing a crime. What do I tell our kids? Huh? Daddy's gone and he was a bad man. How do you explain that?" Carole asked them.

"I don't know, Carole. I am sorry. I really am sorry for your loss."

"Thank you, Agent," she replied before looking at the clock over the mantle. "I have to go pick up my kids. And, I need to talk to an attorney to make sure that there college funds are sound. If your excuse me."

"Sure," Jane said as they both stood up and made their way to the door. Reaching into her jacket pocket, she pulled out a business card. She handed it to Carole. "If you think of anything, no matter how dumb it might sound, call me and tell me about it. We want to find out who killed him. No matter what he was doing. He still deserves justice."

She took the card and nodded. Jane could tell that she was grateful for her words. She knew that everyone would look down on her because of who her husband turned out to really be, but that didn't mean that he wasn't a loving husband and good man. Jane couldn't clear his name, but she could help Frankie find out who killed him.

When they got into the car, Jane let Huff drive. He knew it was because she was in detective mode. Her phone was out and she was texting as fast as she could. He handed her his phone with the photos. When she saw them, she called Ayers and Wantanbe on her phone. As soon as they answered, she put them on speaker.

"Whatcha got?" Ayers asked her.

"It's a cousin. Danny something. Runs a garage or works at it in Newton. He's the one that got Mooreland involved. He's got ties to a small town in Virginia, a brother. He's been close to Carole Mooreland all her life. He's our killer," Jane stated.

"We don't know that," a husky female voice stated.

"Emily?"

"The one and the same," the voice answered.

"Look him up. He got Hugh into the robberies. He wanted to make sure that Carole was cared for and he had the means to have something over him. If his brother lives in Stauton, then Danny had to have caught him with wife number two."

"So he lorded it over him to get to commit felony robbery, but why?" Wantanabe quesitoned.

"For the simple reason that he could. It was blackmail. He needed someone else on the team that he trusted. And, being a mechanic gave him opportunity to get cars that would blend in. Probably used cars that he was working on. We need to look at his shop and his financials."

"Already working it. Seems that cousin Danny has a record," Emily stated.

"For?" Jane asked.

"Robbery," Emily said.

"Got 'em. Now, all we need to do is find his old nine mil and it'll seal his fate. Do whatever you have to do and send us the address. We'll meet you there," Jane said as she hung up the phone and called Frankie.

"We got 'em," she told him. "We'll pick you up on the way. And, tell Maura to get ready in the lab to match some ammunition."

"Who was it?"

"One of the wives' cousins," Jane said.

"Family..."

"Love you, too, Francisco."

"Don't get me started, Janie," Frankie said.

"See you soon, Frankie."

"Love you too, Janie."

"Solved another one, Jane. What are you going to do with your weekend?"

"Spend some time with Maura, outside of the crime lab and maybe just inside our bedroom," Jane told him with a wicked grin.

"Well that was TMI, but good for you. Good for you, Rizzoli. Good for you."


	22. Heavenly

**Heavenly**

It was a rare day off for both Jane and Maura. They had been working on their relationship over the last few months and things were starting to get back to the way they were before Jane left Boston. She could honestly say that she was happy. She had her soul mate, she was still solving crime, and her family was all there. Things were going her way and she was waiting for them to go sideways.

She was just starting to get happy and have the life she wanted when she shot herself in the gut to save her brother when the precinct was under siege. Things were starting to look good with Casey and then he left. Then, she was pregnant and Maura agreed to help her raise the baby, only for her to lose it while protecting Tasha. Frost died. Korsak retired. Her life was falling apart so she ran to DC to join the FBI. Maura left Boston for awhile to find herself, again, and start writing her books. Jane just knew that it was time to move on, then, but now...she was waiting.

It was like Maura could sense it, too. Things were looking too bright for them. They were getting back together. Mike was helping Jane deal with her father's death and had joined the family. She fit right in with her small family, too. Angela had adopted her like she was her own and Jane was grateful for it. She and Jane were going to get married. Of course, it had been a rocky road that got them back to their engagement, but through it all she never stopped loving Jane.

They were out on Boston Common, lying in the grass, looking at the sky, while they enjoyed a rare, warm, early Spring day. Jane was laying in Maura's lap and Maura was running her hands through Jane's hair. It was peaceful. There was a picnic basket next to them. On top of it were two glasses of wine, both empty now.

Jane reached up and grabbed Maura's hand. She played with the ring that was there as she looked up into her fiancee's eyes. Maura had learned to convey more to Jane with her looks and her eyes than she had ever before. She'd also become very adept at reading Jane. And, right now, she knew that Jane was exceedingly happy.

"I want to do something for you, Jane," Maura said as their eyes locked.

"Like?"

"Well, you took me out and gave me a wonderful night. First to dinner and then to the opera, neither of which I was expecting that night. I was just happy that we were going out on a date and that we were together. We'd worked through so much and you were trying to show me how far we'd come."

"Was I not successful?" Jane asked, suddenly worried.

"No, my Love, you were. You were very successful in showing me and telling me how much you loved me. You showed me how much you were willing to work on getting us back together and staying together this time. You've done things with me in the last few months that I don't think that you would have ever been willing to do for your mother. And, others that you would have only done because the department made you. So, I know that you have done a lot for me," Maura told her.

"So?"

"I want to do something for you," Maura answered.

"You do things for me, Maura. You always have. There has never been anything more important to me as when you agreed to marry me. The only other thing that you can do for me is show up at the alter and tell me 'I do.' Then, there would be nothing more that I need from you."

"I didn't say that you needed me to do anything, Jane. I said that I wanted to do something for you. I know that I have done things for you in the past."

"You gave Ma a place to stay."

"And, you as well," Maura added. "But, that isn't what I am talking about. What I am trying to tell you is that I want to do something for you that has nothing to do with money and more to do with our relationship. We both give so much of our lives to fighting crime that we sometimes forget that we've dedicated ourselves to each other. When I feel that I am slipping and losing my way, I catch a glimpse of the ring you gave me. And, I want to give you one as well. I want you to know that I am in this one hundred percent."

"I don't need a ring, Maura. I have your word and I know how you are about breaking your word. You still can't lie well. I have no doubt of your love for me, Maura. I love you, too, deeply, but I don't need a trinket to tell me that," Jane explained.

"I don't think of it as a trinket, Jane. Besides, I've had the ring you gave me appraised and I must say that it was more than I thought. But, before you say something, I am not complaining about it, Jane. I never would. You got a ring that fit me perfectly. It told me you loved me, it was understated somewhat, and it would go with most of my wardrobe. I know that it might not be something that you want but I also know that you are a traditional girl. I still want to get you a ring. I want to be able to give you something that you gave me. I want to be able to claim you like you claim me."

Jane immediately moved around. She sat up and looked into Maura's hazel eyes. She could see the want and the desire in Maura's eyes, but she couldn't understand why Maura felt like she had a claim on her. She'd never said anything like that. She didn't feel like she'd done anything to warrant such a reaction. She was puzzled and she wanted to know more.

"I don't understand, Maura. I don't claim you. I love you. I am happy that you love me and you're mine, but I don't have a claim over you."

"You don't claim me like that, Jane."

"Then what do you mean?" Jane asked her.

"I wear your ring. You call me 'mine.' And, we're making a life together. I am yours and I am going to be your wife. I don't mind your claim on me. I actually relish it. It makes me feel whole again. Your claim on me is your love. It gives me a feeling of acceptance and peace. It wraps me in a blanket of warmth and keeps me grounded. I know that I can accomplish things because I set my mind to it. I know that I am smart, but I've realized that I've never loved someone as much as I love you, Jane. I call you mine and one day we will married, but cannot I not want to give you a ring and make it more official as well?"

"I never said you couldn't," Jane stammered.

"Would you be offended if I did?"

"No, Maura, never."

"So, you wouldn't mind if I got your a ring and proposed to you as well?" Maura asked trying to clarify what she was saying.

"No, I wouldn't mind, Maur. I would actually be flattered that you would want to do that for me. I mean...for most girl, getting proposed to is part of their wedding fantasy. I just figured that because I was the 'butch' that I would do the proposing, but..."

"Just because your are an officer of the law and tend to wear suits that don't flaunt your curves, doesn't make you the 'butch' one as you put it, Jane. You like to be comfortable while you work and also you know how nasty most crime scenes are. I must say though since you've started at the FBI your suits are looking better and better, more tailored and cared for. But, that is besides the point."

"It is?"

"Yes, Jane, it is. We may be in a lesbian relationship but that doesn't mean that we have to assume gender roles. Our love is fluid. Besides, I know a little colloquialism that would make you think twice before stating that you were the 'butch' one as it were," Maura told her.

"Such as?" Jane questioned.

" _Butch on the streets, bitch in the sheets_ ," Maura stated.

Jane started laughing. It was funny. And, she knew why Maura would think that Jane shouldn't claim to be the "butch" by that sentiment or any sort of preconceived gender roles that Jane had in her head about their relationship. It was true. Their love was fluid. Neither of them constantly topped and that was another reason that they were so good together. The ebbed and flowed as they needed for each other. They completed the other.

"I don't know where you heard that, but that is great. I'll have to remember that one for Frankie later. I'll amend it of course for him, but that is just awesome."

"Jane."

"Sorry."

Maura reached past her and into the picnic basket. She moved some things around and didn't seem to be in any hurry. Eventually she pulled out a small box and held it in her hand. It was a light blue in color with a white ribbon tied around it. Maura held the box in her hands for a moment as she tried to decide how she was actually going to do this. She moved up a little onto her knees and faced Jane more. She opened the box and pulled out the little black velvet box inside. She opened it, but in a way that Jane couldn't see what was in the smaller box.

Looking down at the ring inside, Maura finally made up her mind. She plucked the ring from the box and set both the Tiffany blue box and the small velvet box off to her side. She got up fully on her knees and reached for Jane's left hand.

Jane just watched her. She didn't know what to say. And, she was afraid that if she said anything that she would break the spell that they both seemed to be under in that moment in time.

She slipped the small platinum band on Jane's finger. The ring was understated, but it wasn't as muted as Jane originally thought it might be. It was an heirloom setting. A small 3/4 carat diamond surrounded by wreath of dark blue sapphires was sandwiched between two quarter carat rubies ring sat on Jane's finger. Seeing it there, Maura knew it belonged.

"Maura..."

"I love you, Jane. I have for a long time. We've had our up and our downs, our misunderstandings, our fights, but through it all, we always come back to each other. Neither of us really believe in fate, but we know that we make each other stronger. We love each other and I can't wait to be your wife. That being said, I am asking you, here, now, if you will be my wife?" Maura inquired.

"Like there was ever a doubt."

Maura gave her a look.

"Okay, yes...Yes, I'll be your wife."

"Good."

"Maura?"

"Yes, Jane?"

"You had this ring made, didn't you?"

"I did."

"Why?"

"Because how else was I supposed to get your beloved Boston Red Sox Colors in it," Maura said like it was the most logical answer in the world.

"So, we can get married at Fenway?" Jane asked.

"I didn't say that..."

"Oh," Jane replied, a little dejected.

"But, I also didn't say no, so..."

Jane grabbed her and pulled her up to her feet. She kissed her, hard, cementing their engagement...again. When she needed to breathe, Jane finally broke the kiss and looked into Maura's eyes. She could see her mirth in those beautiful green-hazel orbs.

"Maura?"

"Hmm..."

"This is heavenly and all...especially since it is our day off and all..."

"Yes," Maura answered.

"But, take me home before we give the people a show on the Common. I sure that I really wouldn't want to explain that to my mother. Could you see the headline: CHIEF ME AND FBI AGENT ARRESTED FOR PUBLIC INDECENCY ON THE COMMON. I would never live that down."

"Let's go home, then, Jane."

"Just us?"

"Yes, Love, just us. I would hate for Frankie to have to bail us out. Besides, I want to make love to my fiancee and I can't do that here. So, let's pack up and go," Maura told her as she started repacking the picnic basket.

"Sounds heavenly, Maura, absolutely heavenly."


	23. Letting Go

**Letting Go**

Jane found herself late one afternoon after work sitting in Mike's office on campus at BCU. She honestly didn't know why she was there, but she had come because her sister had called. It was still odd to her, still months later to know that she had a baby sister. So, when Mike called, Jane immediately agreed to meet with her. She knew that this meant that Mike might have MJ or Kayla, her TA/babysitter, might be there, but that didn't bother Jane. She loved her family, even her new little nephew.

She was sitting in a deep, rich burgundy, leather, wing chair. She was taking in the atmosphere that Mike was projecting in her office and she liked it. It was a mixture of old school power and new thinking. Maura would have a field day in their with her decorating and history buffness. She looked at the paintings of Army battles and heroes on the wall. She studied the pictures and the diplomas. Mike was obviously well educated and well accomplished in her field. Looking around, Jane realized that she had given up her career as an Army Field Officer to be a ROTC trainer to be nearer to her mother.

"Ah, Jane, good," Mike said as she came in and sat down behind her desk.

Jane took a look at her little sister. There was obviously something on her mind, but Jane was honestly distracted by the chest full of medals. She recognized some of them because Casey had them, too, but there seemed to be a lot. She had been a colonel in the active army. Jane was sure that she'd seen combat, but it wasn't really something that they talked about.

"What's going on?" Jane asked her.

"I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Like?"

"I see that Maura has given you a ring."

"She has," Jane replied.

"Have you both thought about where and when you are going to have your wedding?"

Jane laughed. Sure they'd talked about it, but that was years ago. They hadn't really discussed anything lately. There was the case. Then there was therapy. They really hadn't taken too much time for themselves, but that was nothing new.

"Now that you mention it, we haven't. We've been too busy trying to have a life outside of work that we haven't really thought about the wedding. She's always busy on cases or looking into a death for a family. I'm generally always at the office or in the field working on cases. Thankfully, the FBI uses her for local cases, so we get to spend some time together in the field, but it isn't a lot. Why? Is there something I'm missing?"

"It is just something that Ma said Sunday," Mike stated.

"Ma?"

"Yeah, Angela, your mother and the head Rizzoli now," Mike replied like it was painfully obvious.

"But, you called her 'Ma'," Jane answered.

"She told me to," Mike stated with a hint of question in her voice, like she was asking Jane if it was okay.

Jane just nodded. She didn't know what to say. Her mother had taken to Mike like she was really her own daughter. It wasn't that Jane was jealous. She wasn't. She just really didn't know how to process everything.

"What's wrong?" Mike asked her.

"I don't know."

"Do you not want me to call her 'Ma'?" Mike inquired.

"I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"No, I really don't."

"Tell me what you are thinking right now, Jane," Mike urged her.

Jane just stared at her. Mike was her sister. They looked so much alike that no one would think that they were only half-siblings. She fit in with them. She understood their crazy and embraced it. She loved the fact that she had a little sister, but one hand it was about thirty plus years too late. She'd just turned forty-two. And, she was still letting things that her father did get to her.

"I am mad at Pop."

"Why?" Mike asked her.

"He destroyed this...our chance at being a family before we even knew about each other. He destroyed the family that he was so desperate to keep. And, somehow, it always comes back on me. I have to pick up all the pieces. I have to be the strong one. I have to make sure that everyone is okay. I've been making sure that everything was good for my family since Pop left Mom that I forgot to worry about how it all made me feel."

"And, now?"

"I still pissed."

"That is understandable, but Jane, you can't let it eat at you. You have to let it go. I know that it is hard. I've carried a hatred for Pop for years. He left my mother high and dry. He didn't attempt to admit his mistake until I was already grown. I was just something that was hidden away. I found out that I had siblings, but I was so mad at Pop that I never tried to find you and get to know you. I don't know it was selfish or just self preservation. I was too busy trying to make my own way in the world. I knew what I wanted and I went after it. I had Mutti. I had a family. I had a life. I was happy. Then, I lost Mutti. But, I had Ana. I could pretend that I was okay that I wasn't on Active Duty. I had a family to care for. I had a life to live. I had a son on the way.

I had to be everything for him. I couldn't slack off. I couldn't be selfish. And, then I lost Ana. Now, it is only me and MJ. Sure, I have a Kayla, but she is a babysitter and TA. She isn't family. And, honestly, I only have her for another year."

"What did you do about all that?"

"I learned to let things go," Mike explained. "I know that it sounds hard, but it is easier than you think. You have to want it. And, that is the problem. You don't think that you deserve everything. You think that you still have to fight for it, but you don't. You've earned to the right to be happy, Jane. You've cared for the Rizzoli clan since you were a kid. It would too much of a stretch to let someone else worry about everything else for a little while. You have your own life to live and you need to do that."

"How am I supposed to just let it all go?"

"Learn to let Frankie and Tommy take care of themselves...just like Ma has."

Jane just looked at her. She would have to get use to Mike calling Angela "Ma." It was just strange to have another sibling, again, so late in life. She wasn't opposed to Mike calling her Ma. She actually liked it because it meant that Angela was really making her part of the family.

"I guess. It'll be hard, but I'll try. But, you're right."

"About?" Mike asked her.

"I need to focus on me and Maura. We need to get the wedding planned and actually set a date. It's been months since I proposed, but it's only been a few weeks for since she gave me a ring. I can't wait to be her wife and I can't wait for her to be mine."

"And, you shouldn't."

Jane laughed. She was smiling at her little sister. She reached for her phone. She looked at the time.

"What?" Mike asked her.

"I'm just trying to figure out where I think Maura might be right now down at BPD," Jane told her.

"Then just go down there. I am sure that you can get in with your credentials. Go see her. Take her out. Be spontaneous."

Jane just nodded. It sounded good, but she knew that Maura didn't do spontaneous well. She liked to have an idea or a plan in place. Dating Maura had always been an adventure in itself.

"Just take her to a movie or something. Y'all need some couple time without the entire Rizzoli clan around. Go and have fun. And, then set a time for you both to be off and work on planning the wedding," Mike told her.

Jane stood up. She moved around the desk quickly and grabbed Mike up into a hug. She whispered something about getting used to it because of being part of a tight-knit, Italian family. Mike just laughed in her ear.

Jane left Mike's office at BCU and made her way towards the precinct. She made decent time getting there. She parked in the garage, next to Maura's, and made her way inside the back door of the morgue. She saw Maura in the actually surgical suite finishing up with a body. So Jane made her way around the the morgue and into Jane's office. She passed by Kent on the way. He just gave her a big smile as he headed into surgical suite to help Maura finish up and/or to give her some information from something that he'd processed in the lab across the hall.

Jane just made herself at home on the couch. She didn't think that Maura would be that long, but she never knew what all that Maura might have to do while she was finishing up with a body. Normally, if she was waiting, she'd be going over a casefile. Today, she didn't have one and she really didn't want one. She was trying to be spontaneous and "let go" like Mike had advised. She looked over at the small coffee table and saw some of the bridal magazines that Maura had picked up on the last few months.

"We really need to plan this thing," Jane said as she reached over and picked one up.

She didn't realize that she was engrossed in the magazine until she heard Maura say her name. She looked up and couldn't help but smile. Maura's eyes were questioning Jane's actions more than her presence. She returned Jane's smile and then moved to her ensuite bathroom.

Jane realized that she was going for a shower. She also knew that it meant that the autopsy was messier than most. Plus, she knew that Maura would only shower at the end of the day, unless it was a bad one. She glanced at the clock. It was just passed two. It was a messy one.

She heard the shower start and she smiled. She knew that Maura needed her time and she'd give it to her. She was learning not only be more involved in what Maura wanted, liked and did, but to also to be more caring and aware in her relationship with Maura. They were just friends that supported each other and occasionally did what the other liked to do. Now, they were going to married. They were going to be an entity together. They would have to make a lot of decisions together, but right then it didn't matter.

Her smile grew. She knew how long it took Maura to shower and she knew how much time she had to just let go. Deciding that it was in both of their interests, Jane got up and made her way to the bathroom. She knew that the door wouldn't be locked because Maura knew that Jane was in the office. She got in and immediately turned to lock the door. Stripping slowly, she allowed herself to appreciate the beautiful woman before her. Pulling back the clear curtain, Jane joined Maura in the shower.

"JANE!" Maura screamed as soon as Jane entered the shower stall.

"Hey, Beautiful," Jane replied.

"What are you doing in here?"

"I would think that it was obvious, Maura."

"Jane, you took a shower this morning and you didn't look dirty earlier. You didn't call me to tell me that you were working on a case in the field. So, why are you in the shower with me?"

"I would think that it was obvious," Jane repeated as she moved closer and put her front to Maura's back, flush.

"Oh..."

"Yeah."

"Oh..." Maura replied as she started to turn around to face Jane.

"Okay?"

"Absolutely."

"You realize that you're at work and it is during the work day," Jane told her.

"You locked the door?"

"Yup."

"Then, we're fine."

"Really?" Jane asked her.

"To be honest..."

"Yeah," Jane replied.

"I was...well..."

"Yeah?"

"This is has been kinda a fantasy for me," Maura said.

"Really? You have a public sex fetish. What else haven't you told me, Dr. Isles?" Jane teased her.

"This isn't exactly public, Jane. We are in my office and it is during office hours. I believe that having sex at work is taboo, is it not?"

"Oh, yeah, it is," Jane answered as she leaned in to start kissing Maura's neck.

"Jane?"

"Hmm," Jane replied as she continued to kiss her.

"Not that I mind this, because I really don't. I'm...oh...yeah...really...enjoying this..."

"Mmmhmm."

"But, why all of the udden did you decide today that you needed to join me? I not complaining, but this is, isn't something that you would normally do. Care to enlighten me, Jane?" Maura asked her.

"I'm trying to be a little more spontaneous and learn to let go of things so I am not so uptight all the time."

"Is it working?"

"Ask me tomorrow," Jane told her as she pushed her up against the back of the shower wall.

"Hmm...Jane?"

"Yes, Maura," she replied as she continued to explore Maura's body with her hands and mouth.

"How about you don't let go of me and I'll reward your spontaneity," Maura suggested.

"Don't...worry...Maur. I'm...not...letting...you...go...again," Jane told her as she kissed her way back up to her mouth to seal her statement with a deep kiss.

"Good," Maura said as she pushed Jane down to her knees before her.

Jane just looked up at her. The smile on Maura's face was all she needed to see. She knew that Maura would keep her out of the spray enough to enjoy her "reward."


	24. Truce

**Truce**

Maura sat at her kitchen island and looked at the binders, magazines, and files that littered it. They were all for her wedding with Jane. She was frustrated, but she couldn't help but smile at the same time. Jane had finally sat down with her and started planning their wedding. They opted for a mid-spring wedding, for two reasons. One was that hopefully they could avoid snow, because they were tinkering with the idea of an outdoor wedding. The other was around the Sox schedule. Jane was shooting for a weekend that the Sox were away or didn't have a scheduled game. It only gave them a small window, but it was better than nothing. It wasn't a deal breaker. It was honestly something that Maura could support because she knew how much Jane loved her Red Sox. To be honest about it all, she was just glad that Jane was actually starting to plan the wedding.

It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon. And, normally, Maura would be happy that she was home working on the wedding, but Jane wasn't there. Jane had been called in that morning to work on a case that came down from FBI headquarters in DC. It must have been something important for Jane to have been called. It could have also been something that Jane had been consulting on with a team from DC when she was working at the Academy teaching interrogation techniques. Jane had found herself in a good position and found that she liked teaching. Being back in Boston meant that he was a full-fledged agent now, but she wasn't teaching. Maura didn't know how Jane really felt about that. She seemed to be happy about being back in Boston and happy back investigating cases. But, the cases were bigger, badder, and more ornate in orchestration, and that worried Maura slightly.

She chose not to think about it. Jane had come back to be with her and she knew how much being an officer of a law meant to her. She wouldn't take that from her because she knew that Jane would just waste away if she did. She knew that Jane's job was dangerous. It always had been, but the FBI was something different. The cases were different. The criminals were different. But, she really didn't have any room to talk. She was the Chief Medical Examiner for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. She'd had her own share of issues with criminals and families alike. There had been threats and protection details. So, she knew and understood the danger. She just didn't welcome it the way that Jane, but she also knew that it was just Jane being Jane.

Maura grabbed another bridal magazine and started flipping through the pages. She didn't want to think about work. She just wanted to think about Jane and the day that they were going to celebrate together. That was more important than worrying about her feelings. She still hadn't selected a dress and she wasn't sure if Jane would actually wear one. She pulled over a binder and wrote that down.

She smiled as she looked down at the pages in the binder. One page was filled with things that they had already agreed to having or doing in their wedding. Another was a page of things that Maura thought up during the day and wanted to ask Jane about. Some of the items on the page seemed trivial, but they were still important to the wedding. She grabbed a pen and wrote down the question of Jane's attire. She turned the page and looked down at the list of things that Jane wanted. Her smile couldn't help getting larger as she looked down at some of the ridiculousness that Jane wanted, but it was their day to share. She would agree to a few of them. She even had some inquiries out that Jane didn't know about. She hoped that they would be a pleasant surprise, but she remembered that she needed to look at the calendar and follow up on the most important question that she had.

There was a knock on the door. She turned and looked. She wasn't expecting anyone. She knew that if it was a member of the Rizzoli clan that they would just come through the back door without knocking. She thought about her spending habits and realized that she hadn't ordered anything in a while. Cocking an eyebrow, she slowly stood up from the stool she'd been perched on and made her way to the front door.

On her way to the door, she looked at the clock. It wasn't late. It was still early afternoon and Jane told her that she wouldn't be home until around dinnertime. Shrugging, she continued to the door. Grasping the knob, she turned it opening the door.

"Mike?" she asked in question when she saw who was at the door.

Mike was there in her Blues. She had MJ with her and looked to be a little frazzled. MJ was on her hip and babbling. Maura smiled at them. She always welcomed Mike into home. For her it didn't matter that she was only half Rizzoli. For Maura, Mike was still part of the family.

"What's wrong?"

"I needed a break," Mike said as she moved inside and to the couch.

Maura closed the door and followed her. She sat in the chair next to the couch and waited. She didn't know more than what Mike told her and she wasn't sure if she should press. Given that she had more time with Mike than any of the other Rizzolies, it didn't mean that she felt comfortable having a private conversation or confide with her yet.

"Sorry for just showing up. I know that I usually don't come over unannounced, but I needed to talk to someone with some sense."

"Some sense?"

"I had a very bad day at university. We had a military function. Hence, the uniform. Kayla was watching MJ, but she had to go home with for a family emergency. So, I've had him with me all afternoon. Let me tell you something, he was not amused with a rotation of ROTC cadets watching him during the function. I owe him something, but I don't know what yet. But, that's besides the point."

"Then what is the point?" Maura asked her.

"I came over to see how the wedding planning was going," Mike answered.

"I severely doubt that is why you are here, but if you would rather focus on that then whatever drove your here, we can," Maura replied.

Mike laughed. She knew that Maura would see through her words, but she didn't want to deal with her issues. She wanted to help with the wedding. It would help her keep her mind off of things that were troubling and hard to deal with.

"Jane being difficult?"

"No, actually, she isn't. It is really more us finding the time together to narrow down options. I think we've already settled on having the reception at the Dirty Robber. Korsak that he was going donating part of the tab as our wedding present."

"Are you having the actually ceremony in a church?" Mike questioned.

"I don't know. I am willing to if Jane can find a Catholic Church willing to have it. I know that religion is a big part of Jane's life, but it isn't mine. She hasn't really said if she wants an indoor or outdoor wedding. The biggest thing was that she wanted to get married in the Spring on a day the Sox aren't playing or away," Maura stated.

"Of course, she would want to do it around the Red Sox," Mike said.

"A few years ago, we were talking hypothetically about our weddings. Jane didn't want to divulge anything but then she finally told me that she wanted to get married at Fenway. I don't know if they'd let us do it and I don't know if she really meant it."

"Would you be willing?"

"I would give Jane anything she wants," Maura told her.

"So you would get all gusseied up and marry her at home plate at Fenway?" Mike inquired.

"If she wants, yes," Maura stated.

"Have you told her that?"

"What?"

"Have you told her that?" Mike asked again.

"No, I haven't but I have made some calls to see if it even possible. I really want to give that to her, but I absolutely refuse to have the reception at the pitcher's mound with foot-long hotdogs and frozen lemonade. However, I will make an exception and allow those foods to be at the reception."

"Again, have you mentioned this to Jane?"

"Well, no, I want to make sure that I can arrange it first."

"You know, sometimes a girl just wants to know that you are trying," Mike advised her.

"Why? What has Jane said? What has she done?" Maura asked.

"Nothing. She just asked me about Greece and something about volcanic cliffs. I don't know it just didn't make sense. And, then she asked me if I knew any Catholic priests that would actually preform the wedding rites for her being that it is a lesbian wedding and all. She doubts that she'll find a local parish that would allow her to wed in their church."

"Oh..."

"Oh?"

"It seems that we really need to talk more about this wedding."

"Yeah, you do," Mike replied. "Just remember that you have to share with each other. Communication is key. I am don't mean just talking to each other. Lord knows, you both talk to each other. You both over share sometimes, but there is more to it than that, Maura. I know that you know that, but you have to beat it, it seems, into Jane's head sometimes. Sometimes being blunt is the only way that she hears things. You can always call a truce, meeting half-way, but don't ever forget to talk about it. Air it out. Let it be known. Jane likes to be out and open about things, but she keeps her personal life close to the cuff. You are part of that, and she knows that, but she still keeps you are a distance. You need to work around that and push her into telling her what she really wants or you might never know," Mike told her.

"Speaking from experience?" Maura asked her.

"Totally," Mike replied with a large smile.

Before either of them could say anything else, Maura's phone rang. She looked at the number and realized that it was the current director of the Isles Foundation. She made a gesture at Mike, who nodded in understanding and let Maura answer the call. Just as Maura answered the phone, Jane came in the back door.

She looked frustrated and ready to smack something. She gave her sister a cursory smile and headed for the fridge. She kissed Maura's cheek on the way by. Maura gave her smile, pointed at her phone and then left the kitchen to get away from the coming noise. Jane shook her head and grabbed a Blue Moon from the fridge. She turned, tossing the cap on the island, and looked down at the wedding planner and plans strewn about the countertop of the island.

"Busy?" Jane asked Mike.

"Nope."

She took a long pull and set the beer down on a coaster on the first open spot she found. She looked over the catalogues and magazines. There were two dates on a calendar circled with a third question marked. Jane looked over it all.

"Decide on anything, yet?"

"Yeah," Jane said as she reached for her beer.

"What's that?"

"I'm not wearing a dress," Jane stated.

"Okay, well, that answers one thing," Maura said as she re-entered the room.

"Business?" Jane asked her pointing at the phone.

"Sort of, yes. It was the Isles Foundation. They needed a date for an event, but I didn't know what to tell them," Maura replied.

"I think that we should shoot for the April 22nd for the wedding, Maur. The Sox are away and they are playing Baltimore. It should be warm but not too warm, if we do an outdoor wedding."

"You want to do it outdoors?"

"I know you do. I remember things. I know that it isn't Greece with volcanoes in the background, but I am sure that we can find something for you, here."

"I am sure we can," Maura told her.

"So, I'm going to wear a nice suit."

"Sounds perfect."

"But, I am going to make Frankie and Tommy wear a tux."

"So only two, brides' men?" Maura asked.

"And a bride's woman," Jane added.

"Who?"

"Mike," Jane said as she turned to find her sister's eyes. "And, I'm assuming that she'll be wearing her Blues. I won't make you go full Mess Dress and all, but Blues with the pants should be good."

"Anything you want, Jane. It's your day. Well, I'm going to go. I need to get this munchkin in the bed. Looks like you are both on the right way to getting this thing planned out. Just keep talking and you might have it settled in a few days," Mike said as she scooped up MJ who has dozed on the couch. "Don't worry about me. I can show myself out."

Once Mike was gone, Maura came around the island and took Jane's hands. She smiled down at their rings and then up into Jane's dark eyes. Her smile grew because she knew that she was about to make Jane very happy.

"What is it, Maura?"

"I'll make a deal with you, if you'll let me," Maura started.

"What?"

"I'll acquiesce to your choice in venue for the wedding, if you let me plan the honeymoon and stop trying to plan it for Greece," Maura told her.

"Mike told ya, huh?"

"She did."

"Okay, I'll take your deal, but I haven't picked anywhere, yet."

"Yes, you have and you've gotten your wish," Maura told her.

Jane cocked her head in question. She was pretty sure that they hadn't found a place to have the wedding. Honestly, they hadn't really been looking for a place but a Father to do the rites. Jane figured the place would just happen once they had an officiate.

"What are you talking about?"

"You told me that you always wanted to get married at Fenway..." Maura started.

"No way, Maura. No way. You didn't. There...you've...we're going to get married at Fenway?"

"At home plate, is that okay?" Maura asked her.

Jane dropped her beer and picked up Maura. She spun her around and as soon as she set her down, she kissed her hard. Maura couldn't help but giggle as Jane kept kissing her.

"So, you are okay with that?"

"Abso-fucking-lutely, Maura."

"And, for the rest of the wedding?"

"I don't care. I got home plate at Fenway with the best girl in the world. I'm going to be wearing a white suit. You are going to be in a dress and absolutely ravishing. The rest doesn't matter."

"So, you wouldn't mind if I used Yankee Navy for my bride's maids?"

"Oh, I would mind, but I wouldn't say anything," Jane told her.

"Tell you what, darling," Maura stated when she realized that Jane wasn't going to let her go anytime soon. "I'll make our colors Boston Red and Navy, but you have to make sure that you keep your mother in check with the reception at the Dirty Robber. And, you need to find a way to take a month off. I'm taking you sight seeing."

"Deal," Jane said and sealed it with another kiss, smiling as they both giggled.


	25. The Bells

**The Bells**

Somewhere in the back of her mind, this wasn't exactly how she pictured it. Sure, they were at Fenway. She was getting married to Maura on home plate. Maura was beautiful. And, to be honest, she wasn't paying attention to anything else on the field. She only had eyes for Maura.

Maura stood there next her on that clay in her white dress, amazingly, and without complaint. Jane was proud of her. She still couldn't believe that Maura was actually standing there with her. She couldn't help the size of her smile.

Maura was smiling at her, too. And, honestly, neither of them were paying any attention to anything that was going on around them, except for each other. Maura was losing herself in the dark pools of Jane's eyes. While Jane was trying to think of names for the various shades in Maura's green-hazel eyes. She was at a loss, but she could find the want to care about it. It pleased her to stare into Maura's eyes. So, she did.

She didn't care that the cream colored tux that Maura helped her pick out paired perfectly with the Boston Red Sox Red vest she was wearing with it. She didn't care that the trim on Maura's dress...her something blue...was Boston Red Sox Navy. It didn't matter. She had Maura and that was all that mattered.

It turned out to be a nice spring day. There was a slight chill in the air, but no one really seemed to mind it. Things were just so blissfully peaceful and Jane was inclined to enjoy it while she could. She knew that her birthday was a day of disaster. When she was finally getting happy in a relationship, something always happened. But, she was bound and determined not to let that happen today. No, it wasn't. She would have posted snipers on the upper decks to stop anyone who even dared to think of ruining her day, if she could. Instead, there had been a few choice officers that managed to be at every exit. Jane, with Korsak's help, was leaving nothing to chance.

It wasn't until Kent told her that she could kiss her bride that she heard the bells. She still didn't know how, but she knew that it had to be her mother. A small boombox off to the side had a CD in it that Kent burned in the lab of the wedding march and other songs that they had selected. Kiki had been in charge of the music. And, some how the boom box was forgotten and the music all played over the stadium sound system. But, it was the ringing of cathedral bells that clued Jane in that her mother had still gotten a little bit of their Italian Catholic heritage into the service. Sure, it wasn't mass, but Angela wasn't going to let her daughter get married without the ringing of the cathedral bells to bless her wedding.

Jane looked over at her mother and smiled. Holding, Maura's hand they started for the Red Sox dugout and to the limos that would take them back to the Dirty Robber for their reception. It was all still so surreal for them both. Having been through so much, especially the epic craziness of Korsak and Kiki's wedding, Jane thought that she might never get Maura. It was a fear that was still in the back of her mind, which is why she wasn't surprised to see a mix of off-duty cops and Doyle lieutenants waiting to escort them to the bar. It was an occasion that both sides would turn a blind eye to, for the day. And, somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew that Paddy was going to get a video of his daughter getting married.

The sound of the bells rang out again as they entered the limo. This time it wasn't turned down for just the stadium. It was so loud that Jane could have sworn the entire city could hear them. She shook her head as they made their way through town and to the Dirty Robber.

"Congratulations!" everyone yelled at the entered the bar.

She knew that Korsak was footing the bill for this part of the reception. He closed the bar for their event. It was a Saturday. It was a game day and still he closed the bar for them. When she explained things to Maura, she could see the worry about Korsak loosing too much on her face, especially since the bar was his retirement. Jane knew that Maura slipped some cash...probably a crazily, obscene amount to Angela to put into the till to offset some of his losses. Jane would have done the same thing. And, she knew that her brothers also chipped in. She knew she would never know how much, but she was proud of her little family. Korsak may not be their blood, but it was a Rizzoli by association. And, Rizzolies took care of their own.

Kent immediately took over as DJ and got the party started. Dance music was played and everyone seemed to be having a good time. And, then Jane heard those cathedral bells again. She turned to face her mother and was about to say something to her when Kent broke the peace instead.

"I want to thank everyone here for coming to celebrate with us as we celebrate the union of Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles," he said. "I wish you both a very long and happy marriage. So, without further ado, I need the two brides on the floor for their first official dance."

Jane looked at him in shock. There were a lot of things that Jane had given Maura authority over with the wedding, but she didn't remember anything about them going over the reception. She wondered what Maura had in mind. But, somewhere in the back of her mind, she really didn't care. She knew that would be something very sentimental and appropriate. It was Maura after all. As long as it wasn't something from some obscure opera that no one else in the room would know, she could care less what song Kent was about to play.

Jane reached for Maura's hand and led her to the center of the makeshift dance floor. It was basically just an area they'd opened up by removing some of the tables for the evening. Once they were in position, Maura swooped up her skirt and took her position in Jane's arms. As soon as they were set, Kent started the music.

She couldn't help but smile as Maura leaned forward and began to sing into her ear..."I don't want to miss a thing..."

Jane backed up and let out a loud laugh. She never would have thought that Aerosmith would have been something that Maura knew, but here they were, dancing on their wedding day, and Maura was singing the power ballad in her ear. It couldn't have been better. She got married at Fenway. Maura and she both wore Red Sox colors. And, even though Maura fought it, she still got her hot dog bar at the Dirty Robber. And, to top it all off, they were dancing to well known Boston band, Aerosmith.

They were both laughing a few songs later when Kent went back to Aerosmith and "Janie's Got a Gun." He played just the line a few times, never going into the full song because he knew that it would be inappropriate. Jane gave him a thumbs up and moved across the floor as more and more people joined them dancing.

Suddenly, there was a break in the music and the bells sounded again. Jane turned from Maura and towards her mother. Angela just smiled.

Jane wasn't sure what it all meant, but at the moment, she was willing to not care. She had Maura. They were married. She didn't need anything else. She had nothing left to prove. Not that she really did to begin with, but now, she felt like everything was right with the world.

The bells rang again.

Jane jumped up. She couldn't believe that she was lying in bed and Maura wasn't with her. She was slammed her phone down on the bedside table. And, it was just about that time that Mike came in the room.

"I was wondering when you were going to get up," she said as she moved about the room to open the drapes.

"What time is it?"

"Just after ten."

"Why did we drink so much last night?" Jane asked her.

"I believe it was and I quote: 'My last night as a single woman. Fuck the hangover. I'm getting Maura. She's the best medicine'."

"Never again," Jane said as she rolled over in the bed.

"Nope, not this time, Big Sis. You've got to get a move on. Ma's got your tux ready across the hall. The limo will be here at just passed one. You're gettin' hitched today and you can't be late. I promised Maura."

"You like her more than me," Jane whined.

"At the moment, yes, I do. But, like Maura says, blood is blood and you are my blood. So, up and at 'em," Mike told her as she tried to pull Jane out of the bed.

When that didn't work, she changed tactics. She pushed her out instead. Jane looked up at her little sister from the floor. She tried to glare but the room was spinning.

"Get to bathroom if you're gonna heave. I'll be right back. Don't get back in the bed."

Jane crawled her way into the bathroom and puked in the toilet. She was getting too old to party like that. It was one of the reasons that she knew better than to go out with the recruits back at Quantico. She'd gotten too old to keep up. No, she knew better. She paced things. She knew how to get drunk without the hangover, but last night was a celebration and one that was a long time coming. So, she did something that she rarely ever did. She indulged.

Mike came back into the room with a plate. Jane couldn't make out what was on it and a glass of water. She took the glass first and drank greedily. Once she slacked her thirst, she refilled it and used it to clean out the taste in her mouth. When a third glass was consumed courtesy of the bathroom tap, Jane turned to eye Mike a little more angrily for her rude awakening.

"What's that?" Jane asked her pointing at the plate.

"A hangover cure for fighting the 'hair of the dog'."

"I thought a warm beer would work."

"Well, we could go that route and you can explain to Maura why you are drunk on your wedding day or you can eat this," Mike told her as she offered her the plate.

"What is that?"

"It is a honey sandwich."

"A honey what?" Jane inquired.

"A honey sandwich."

"And, you want me to eat it?"

"Yes."

"Okay...explain."

"Alcohol dehydrates you."

"I know."

"Your body wastes fuel to get rid of it, so we are going to help it out."

"How?"

"Honey is a natural sugar substance. It will bind with the alcohol and help it break down allowing your body to flush it out more quickly and easily. It helps your body metabolize it faster. The bread is an absorber. It will help soak up what hasn't been broken down completely in your stomach. This and the added amounts of water that you are going to consume in the next hour are going to make you pee the alcohol out. I would say in a few, you'll feel like your normal cantankerous self."

"Maura told you about this?"

"Nope, learned it in the Army. Had an instructor that swore by it. Didn't think anything of it until I got drunk one night on some hootch and got word that the general was coming for an inspection. I made my way to the mess and made some honey sandwiches. Ate three and drank at least a gallon of water. Good thing I did to," Mike told her as Jane started eating the sandwich.

"Why's that?"

"Because our outpost got attacked. General never made it in, but we got the convoy that was bringing him to safety. The general was turned around and sent back to the Green Zone. Later that week, we got more men and more supplies. An air drop a few days later. General never came back out, but he kept us supplied."

"He never tried again?" Jane asked.

"Oh, he did. But, it wasn't until later we found out that there was an interpreter that was giving out the general's movements. It was some misguided attempt to thwart our mission. Unfortunately for him, he was found out and dealt with."

"Killed?" Jane questioned.

"Nope, one way trip to GTMO."

Jane's phone went off again. Another alarm and it was the blasted cathedral bells. She turned it off and looked at Mike.

"How did Ma do that?"

"Do what?"

"Change my alarm to the Bells?"

"Angela does have her ways. Now, come on. We've got get you ready. Bring your glass. And, don't worry. I've already had two sandwiches and about six glasses. It'll catch up with us both soon."

"That's why you're so chipper."

"There's that and the fact that I get to watch my big sister get married at Fenway today. How cool is that? And, at home plate, too."

Jane couldn't help but laugh at her sister's enthusiasm. She looked out the window as they made their way into the kitchen for some more water. It was a gorgeous day outside. She couldn't wait to be Maura's wife. She couldn't wait to see Maura in her dress.

"Let's go. I'm getting hitched today. Don't want to make her wait," Jane said as she refilled her glass and chugged it down.


	26. To Find You

**To Find You**

Maura sat in her parents' apartment in Paris overlooking the Seine. She couldn't believe that she was back there with Jane. It seemed like it had been so long ago that they had been there together, but now, it was better. They were married. This was part of their honeymoon. Maura was shocked to find out that Constance had gifted them the use of the apartment until the bungalow was ready for them in Greece. At least that is what she was told. Her mother and Jane hadn't been very forthcoming about where in Greece they would be going or staying. Jane had just stated that it had all been arranged.

She was sitting there sipping her tea and thinking about everything that she and Jane had been through over the years. The more she thought about it, the more her ring shined on her finger. It brought a smile to her face.

She felt arms come around her and the chair she was sitting in. She immediately knew that it was Jane by her smell and her warmth. She smiled as she reached up to hold her arms closer to her body. She felt Jane's body shifting behind her. And, her smile got bigger as she felt Jane's lips on the side of her head.

"Morning," Maura said quietly as Jane moved around to sit down beside her.

"Morning."

"Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah, you?"

"I did. Thank you for asking. I wasn't sure if you want me to wake you or not, so I just let you sleep. I know how you get when you haven't had a lot."

"Thanks."

"Is there something that you wanted to do today?"

"Besides you?" Jane quipped quickly as she reached across the table and grabbed a croissant.

She tore off a piece and tossed it in her mouth before she saw the shocked expression on Maura's face. She just smiled as she slowly chewed the bit of bread in her mouth, waiting for Maura to say something to her about her off-color remark. When she didn't, she wondered if Maura was trying to figure it out.

"Maur?"

"Yes, Jane?" Maura asked.

"You know what I mean, right?"

"About doing me?"

"Yeah," Jane replied.

"Yes, Jane, I do."

"And?"

"I am not opposed to it, Jane. I thoroughly enjoy it when you 'do me,' as you say. Have I not been vocal enough for you?"

Jane nearly choked on the croissant. She looked over at her wife. She was never going to get tired of calling Maura her wife. She saw nothing but happiness in her eyes and it made her happier, if that was even possible right then.

"Oh, you've been perfectly fine in that department, Maura," Jane told her as she stood up and kissed her again.

This time, she pulled Maura out of the chair she was sitting in. She began to sway to the music in her head and Maura let her lead her around the room a little as they danced. She was content with Jane and she was very content to see Jane this happy. She didn't want to contain it. She wanted to let Jane let loose and do whatever she wanted, because for once in her life with Jane, they were both fully relaxed. And, she was ashamed to admit that she loved the way it looked on Jane so much more in Paris than it did in a box at Fenway.

"What were your plans for the day, Jane?" Maura asked her again.

"I really didn't have any beyond finding you again. I didn't like waking up alone and the bed was cold. I knew you'd been up for a while."

"I'm sorry. I woke up with an idea for my next book. I've been writing most of the morning, but I just stopped to have something to eat and cup of tea. Would you like one?"

"No, Maura, I'm good."

"What has been your favorite thing about Paris so far this trip, Jane?" Maura asked her.

"Finding you," Jane replied and then leaned in for a kiss.

This time it wasn't brief and it wasn't chaste. It wasn't a "good morning" or a "hello" kiss. No, this kiss was a kiss to rival all kisses that Maura had ever had. And, honestly, she didn't care about the others. This was her wife kissing her into oblivion and she was loving every second of it. She couldn't stop herself from kissing back just as passionately as Jane was kissing her. She leaned into Jane, who pulled her closer and held her closer.

She could feel Jane's body heat radiating through the pyjamas that she'd given her to wear. The gray silk suited her skin and it was soft and mesmerizing under her fingers. She was surprised that Jane was even wearing them, but she didn't let that keep her attention from the woman trying to kiss her stupid. She lost herself in Jane's body and her lips as she devoured her mouth and claimed her over and over again. It was blissful and exquisite at the same time.

Jane wrapped her arms more fully around Maura and lifted her up in a spin. Setting her back down, she looked down in her green-hazel eyes and lost her heart all over again. She smiled so big that Maura could help but smile at her trademark Rizzoli smile. Holding her hand, she pulled Maura back towards the bedroom they'd been using in Maura's parents apartment. She pushed her towards the bed and stood at the end of it.

Maura sat down on the side of the bed and looked at Jane, but Jane didn't move from where she was. She just pointed for Maura to get on the bed and then shooed her back towards the headboard. When she was situated where Jane wanted her, Jane stood up over the footboard of the bed and on the end of the mattress, towering over Maura. She reached up and slowly started unbuttoning the silk pyjama top. She let it drop to the floor behind her, and then stepped towards Maura.

"Jane?"

"Hmm?"

"What are you doing?" Maura asked when Jane removed the pyjama pants and realized that Jane was bare.

"Finding you," Jane told her as she leaned down and knelt around Maura's hips.

"You put me here, Jane. There was nothing to find. I don't understand what you mean."

"You left me alone in bed, Maura. I am finding you and bringing you back. This why I won't have to go and find you again," Jane said as she attacked her neck with her lips. "Because evidently, I didn't give you a good enough reason to stay in bed with me this morning."

Maura gasped as she found that spot behind her ear and teased it mercilessly. Her arms reached up to pull Jane's body closer to her, revealing in the fact that Jane was naked on top of her. She felt Jane's hands moving, but they weren't in a hurry. Jane was taking her time. She was making Maura's body burn with want and need. She was going to drive Maura crazy and Maura knew that it was willing and fitting punishment for her leaving her wife, her beautiful, sexy, Italian, wonderful lover in bed, alone, again that morning. It wasn't hard for Maura to know that Jane was going to make her beg for her release and it was all because Jane had to go find her.

"Jane?"

"Hmm?" she replied as her hand moved under Maura's silk top.

Jane's hand skimmed the skin of her abdomen. Her touch was a like a liquid, electric fire across her flesh. She felt her body's reaction and she arched up towards Jane.

"Do me," Maura told her.

"I plan on it," Jane told her as her hand came off Maura's skin.

She was about to whimper at the loss of touch when she felt the top button to her top pop open. It was followed by the next, then the next, then the next, until Jane had the pyjama shirts completely undone. She pushed it to the side. She didn't care about getting it off Maura at the moment. She was met with Maura's bosom, but it was unfortunately covered in satin and lace. Jane looked up at her and cocked an eyebrow.

"I put it on as soon as I knew that I wasn't going to come back to bed anytime soon," Maura told her.

Jane just "tsked" her as her fingers skimmed over her skin again. Finally, she knew that Maura would get agitated if she zeroed in on her breasts and played with them without letting them be free. She smiled as she leaned down to tease and suck a nipple through the lace top cups. Maura moaned for her and she sucked a little harder, earning an hand to the back of her head to hold her there.

Finally, Maura couldn't take it anymore. She wiggled just enough to get her hands beneath her. Jane wasn't making it easy. She hadn't stopped loving on Maura's breasts, but she needed to get her bra off. She wanted to feel her more thoroughly, skin to skin, lips to skin, and she wanted it now. As she pulled her bra off, she managed to work her pyjama top off as well. Jane just smiled around a nipple as she claimed it over and over as hers with her tongue, teeth and lips. Maura held Jane's head to her bosom and arched up again. The sensations that she was giving her made Maura swoon even more.

Jane slipped one hand down and below Maura's elastic waist band. She could feel the heat of Maura's excitement before she even got her fingers close to their destination. She ran her fingers against Maura and heard her moan. Smiling around a nipple, she slipped one finger inside her and Maura bucked up into her.

"Stay still," Jane demanded as she situated herself between Maura's legs.

Staring into Maura's eyes, Jane lost herself in the sensation of Maura surrounding her fingers as she buried another one in her core. Maura refused to close her eyes. She wanted to stare into the depths of Jane's dark eyes as they dilated more and more with each stroke of her hand.

Jane finally broke her gaze from Maura as she started to move down her body. Loving every inch of skin on her way down, Jane nipped and smiled around her nipples and her bellybutton. Her ears picked up every hitch in Maura's breath, every sigh she let out, and every moan she exhaled. And with each, Jane smiled and stayed in each spot hoping for more responses. She knew that she was driving Maura slowly crazy because she wasn't giving her enough to fall over the edge, but she was driving her to the edge and showing her oblivion without letting her crash into it.

Normally Maura wouldn't care, but the feelings were become too much.

" _Juste baise moi déjà,"_ Maura demanded.

Jane's head popped up from her hips. She'd been slowly pulling down Maura's silk pyjama pants while she nipped at the spot where her thigh and hip joined. She knew that it was a spot that Maura enjoyed being toyed with and she definitely enjoyed toying with Maura's spots. She could feel the rewarding wetness coating her fingers from her actions. She rose up on her one unoccupied arm and stared down at Maura.

" _Quoi?"_

Jane smiled and said, "You know that I think it is sexy when you speak French, Maura, but I have no clue what you are saying."

"Jane..."

"What, love?"

"Please... _Merci,"_ Maura begged her.

And, Jane gave her what she wanted, knowing it was what Jane really wanted, too. Maura fell into the abyss crying out Jane's name. But, Jane didn't relent. She kept pushing and pulling, demanding another and another, until Maura was nothing but a gooey mess in her hands.

" _Merci,"_ Maura begged again.

"What now, darling?" Jane asked.

"Thank you for loving me."

"I couldn't help but love you, Maura," Jane replied.

"What?"

"To find you, I think that was what I was meant to do. To find you and love you," Jane told her.

"Well, you've found me many times, Jane and I thank you every time," Maura replied.

"Even now?" Jane asked with her cocky smile.

"Even now," Maura stated as she managed to roll them over and she attacked Jane's neck with her lips.

"I could get used to be thanked for finding you like this...a LOT," Jane replied.

"Good. Now do me a favor, Jane."

"What's that, love?"

"Shut up and enjoy," Maura demanded and Jane nodded, just before she surrendered into Maura's loving touch.


	27. Love is Alive

**Love Is Alive**

They were back in Boston and everything was perfect, or at least Jane thought so. She had finally and officially moved into Maura's house in Beacon Hill. She was laying on Maura's bed, now _their_ bed, and she couldn't help smiling. She was so blissfully happy that she couldn't stand herself.

Maura came out of the bathroom in that sinfully short silk kimono that she liked to wear sometimes before bed and after they made love. And, Jane felt a lecherous grin cross her lips. _Damn, my wife is beautiful,_ she thought to herself. She felt like a teenager sometimes with Maura. She knew it sounded ridiculous but she couldn't help it. She was still wondering how she managed to get Maura to date her. They were so different and so passionate, but she burned for Maura. She'd do anything for the woman and she knew that Maura felt the same. It hadn't been easy, but they always seemed to find their way to each other. They were stronger together. And, Jane could admit that, now. She needed Maura as much as it seemed Maura needed her.

"What are you thinking about?" Maura asked her as she walked closer to the bed.

Jane just gave her a knowing grin. Maura returned her grin as she moved across the room towards her. Jane just pulled the covers back to the bed and Maura got back in, tossing her rob to the side as she slid back in the bed with Jane. She got closer to Jane and fell into her embrace.

"So, did you want go do something?" Maura questioned as she positioned her head under Jane's and cuddled closer.

"Oh, I have plenty that I want to do," Jane quipped.

Maura playfully slapped her and scoffed. Jane laughed with her as she leaned down and kissed the top of Maura's head. She pulled her closer and loved the feel of Maura's skin against hers. As they snuggled, Jane dreamed of a lazy day in bed together, snuggling, making love, and just generally being happy together.

"You're humming," Maura stated.

"I just want to stay in bed with you. I don't want to worry about work. I don't want to worry about anything but you today."

"I think we could arrange that," Maura replied as she leaned up and kissed Jane's lips. "But, that would only last until this afternoon."

Jane looked down at her with a frown. Her brow furrowed in question as she tried to think of a good reason why she couldn't spend the day in bed with her wife, just the two of them, making love. She couldn't think of anything. Her questioning brow and eyes must have gotten to Maura, because she giggled.

"Did you forget that it's Sunday?"

"No?" Jane answered.

"And, your mother knows that we are back, Jane. She isn't going to let us skip family dinner this week. She's going to make sure that everyone is there and you know it."

"Damn it," Jane muttered as she fell back on the pillows and threw an arm over her face.

"Oh, don't do that, Love. You know that for all your complaining you love your mother. And, I love your family, too."

"I don't love them right now, because they are going to keep me away from you."

"That will never happen," Maura replied.

"But, I won't be able to have you," Jane pouted.

"Well, no, not while they are here, but if you're good, then you can have me anyway you want after they leave. You don't have to go back to work for another week, unless some really strange and large case comes up. I haven't agreed to go back to the department yet. I've been liking this being able to see you whenever I want and writing, too. I know that my publisher has liked these last few chapters that I've sent in for review."

"Why? Are they worried that I've silenced your muse? Were they afraid that you wouldn't come back to write after the honeymoon?"

"I don't know, Jane. I didn't ask. But, he told me that they were really impressed with what I've sent them so far. They haven't moved my deadline, and I am still ahead of schedule. There is nothing for them to worry about," Maura said.

"That's because you knew that I would want to go check out some things in Greece, didn't you? You planned excursions for me knowing that I would love it and that it would give you time without me to write. I am not mad. I enjoyed my entire time with you. And, I mean, we couldn't have stayed hold up in villa forever, no matter how many times I wanted to touch and worship your body. We had to eat sometime. And, I knew that as soon as I got back from whatever little trip or whatever, I got to have you again. So, for me, it was a win-win situation. A day out with the local police learning from them and shooting some guns, and then I got to come back to our villa and fuck you senseless. I don't see how that is bad for either of us," Jane told her with a large smile as her hand moved down Maura's back to her ass.

"It was rather invigorating," Maura added.

"It was," Jane replied as she shifted them until she was hovering over Maura.

"I rather enjoyed it. Especially that day you came back after talking the Niko about..."

"Mmmhmm," Jane said as she pushed Maura's head to the side and began to kiss her pulse point.

"No marks, Jane. You're mother and brothers will..."

"Don't care," Jane stated as she bit down.

"Oh, Jane..."

"Yes?" she murmured against the soft, sunkissed skin of Maura's throat.

"Make love to me," Maura demanded.

"Yes, ma'am," Jane said as she started moving down Maura's body.

"Mmmm, Jane..."

"JANEY!" her mother called from downstairs.

"Fuck," Jane whispered as she looked up at Maura.

"Ignore her, Jane. I need you, now. I want you. NOW. FUCK ME!" Maura demanded.

"Anything for me wife," Jane quipped, her lecherous smirk returned to her face as she continued her downward assault of Maura's torso.

"JANE!"

Jane's head popped up from her wife's stomach and she looked up at Maura's beautiful green-hazel eyes. She could see how far gone Maura was, but she also knew that her mother was obviously downstairs. It didn't matter that she'd remarried and moved out. Angela still had a key and she'd never been afraid of busting up into Maura's house. But, Jane wasn't worried about that. She was worried about her mother finding her in bed with Maura and doing things to her.

"She's not going to stop," Jane stated lowly.

"And, neither are you!" Maura demanded as she pushed Jane's back down.

She couldn't hide her smile. Maura have a very special and loving appreciation of both her wife and sex. The two went together quite regularly and she hoped that Jane would just get on with it. Jane could smell her and her mouth watered. There was nothing more that she wanted to do than make love to her wife, but she knew that her mother was just outside that door. Her mother was noisy and she wasn't going to let a shut door stop her.

Quickly jumping up and running across the run, much to Maura's dismay, Jane locked the door. On her way back over, she got to appreciate Maura's body as she laid it out on display for Jane to see. Her hands were running up and down, enticing Jane back to bed, back to her body, and back to what she was doing before Angela interrupted them. Jane literally jumped on the bed, but held herself up as she landed around Maura's naked form. She grinned as Maura giggled at her childish antics. Well, she did until Jane kissed her again, making her forget everything but Jane's lips on hers.

"JANE!"

Jane turned her head just enough to grunt and let her head fall to the pillow beside Maura's head. She kept her body up just enough, hovering slightly over Maura, as she prayed for her mother to leave. She knew that it wasn't likely to happen, but that didn't stop Maura. She picked her arms up and wrapped herself around Jane as best she could from her back on the bed. She held Jane against her. Turning her head, she began to kiss Jane's strong jaw line in an attempt to tempt her back to love making.

"Maur..." she whimpered.

"Who do you want right now? Me or your mother? Because I can make you scream obscenities, too," Maura teased her.

"Fuck..."

"That is what I am trying to do."

"Do you still have those ear plugs in the bathroom from when they had to do all that construction next door?"

"Yes, why?" Maura asked her.

Jane got up and ran to the bathroom. Maura could hear her digging around in the cabinets and realized that she was looking for the ear plugs to drown out her mother. Then a thought, ran through Maura's head, a very delicious and wonderful thought. She got up and went into the closet. She had to stand up on tiptoes to reach the box she wanted, but she found the items that she wanted and ran back to bed. By the time she was back, Jane was coming out of the bathroom with two pairs of disposable ear plugs in her hand. She held them up in victory as she jumped back on the bed and started kissing Maura again.

They both took a pair and put them in their ears. It effectively tuned Angela's yells for them both out, but it also made it so they couldn't hear each other as they sought their pleasure together. It rankled Maura somewhat to know that she wasn't going to hear the tender gasps and frustrated grunts of Jane as they made love to each other. She loved nothing more than to hear those sounds as they took each other to new heights each time. That and the look in Jane's eyes. Today, she would have to settle for that.

But, the look in Jane's eyes was one of surprise as she saw what Maura had brought from the closet for them. They had a very healthy sex life and had used toys before, but she needed to be sure. Today was about them and as much as she loved being with Maura, she loved to take Maura with this toy a little too much. It just brought them closer together, she thought. She felt so close to Maura, like she could actually tangibly feel Maura's love seeping out of her and entering herself with each movement between them. Her eyes asked the question and Maura nodded back in response. It only took a few seconds to don it. Maura just smiled and reached for Jane as she came back to bed with it.

Everything else fell away as they came together. Their love enveloped them and nothing was going to break their coming together, over and over, until they were ready to leave the cocoon of their shared bedroom. Vaguely they heard Angela knock on the door, which meant she was really beating on it, to which Jane answered with a very pleasured scream as Maura managed to lick a very nice strip against her core around their toy. Jane was sure that her shout sent her mother running for the hills, but she couldn't care as long as Maura continued to love her. She would endure her mother's scathing looks, because she knew that Maura would make it all better later.

As they fell to the bed, spent, Jane only had one thought, "Maura is love. And, Love is very much alive. God, I love her so much." She smiled as she rolled back over and began to kiss her wife again. Maura sighed as she returned Jane's languid kisses. And, next thing they knew, Jane was on her back and Maura was riding her into oblivion, again and again.

"I love you," Jane managed out between panted breaths.

"I love you," Maura replied. "More each day."

Jane sat up and held Maura close to her as they both came, together. The day forgotten. Family dinner was a thought a week away in their minds. The would sup on their love and be sustained. The world could wait. Boston could wait. Family could wait. They had each other and they couldn't...wouldn't wait anymore. They had each other and they planned on keeping each other, forever, basking in their love.

**The End?**


End file.
